Businesses have warned that proposals for up to four years of convoy-controlled traffic during construction of a permanent solution at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful could cost the regional economy £500m.

The Herald reorts that campaigners are seeking an alternative that maintains two-way access to Argyll and Bute.

The proposals involve using the Old Military Road as a diversion while a debris flow shelter is built to protect the A83 from landslides. Scottish Government documents put the estimated cost of the permanent scheme at between £408m and £510m at late-2024 prices, with construction expected to take three to four years.

The £500m economic impact figure is a campaign estimate. Published A83 Taskforce minutes record campaign group chairman John Gurr warning of direct losses of approximately that amount over four years without a two-way route, alongside further indirect impacts, including the risk of business failures.

Options examined include upgrading a forestry track for two-way traffic, widening the Old Military Road for two-way use, or combining the routes into a one-way circuit. Campaigners favour the forestry track option, while Transport Scotland has argued that its proposed Old Military Road improvements would provide a more resilient diversion more quickly and at a relatively lower cost.

Transport Scotland has also warned that changing the proposed interim solution would have significant implications for the programme and cost of delivering the permanent scheme. September’s taskforce minutes record Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn acknowledging stakeholders’ concerns and saying he wanted to consider the additional assessment work fully before deciding how to proceed.

(Picture – BEAR Scotland)