The A83 road remains closed after several landslips occurred between Inveraray and Tarbet as a month’s worth of rainfall fell in just 36 hours over the weekend.
Following the heavy and persistent rainfall that impacted travel across Argyll & Bute, a major clear-up operation is now underway along the key trunk road for those travelling from Glasgow to Inveraray, Lochgilphead and Campbeltown.
The A816 Lochgilphead to Oban road also remains closed near Ardfern after a huge landslide swept across the road at the Bealach on Saturday between Ardfern and Kilmartin.
BEAR Scotland also identified six further landslips between Inveraray and the Rest and Be Thankful, removing 9,500 tonnes of debris from the A83 at the time of writing.
This has left approximately 2,000 tonnes on the hillside that will likely need to be removed before the road can safely re-open.
BEAR Scotland teams are onsite monitoring the condition of the hillside and they are undertaking clear-up operations where it is deemed safe to do so.
The area around the A83 Rest and Be Thankful saw around 160mm of rainfall occur over 36 hours.
It has been reported that the catch pits and fences stopped around 2,500 tonnes of debris and have ensured that only a small amount reached the road at the Rest and Be Thankful itself, with that section of the road now cleared.
Road closures will remain in place between Inveraray and Tarbet due to landslides that have both sides of Dunoon junction.
The hard closure point is at Ardgarten, with the Road Closed Ahead sign in place at Tarbet.
The Old Military Road diversion at the Rest has been unaffected by the recent weather, but access on the local road network is restricted in addition to the A83 closure.
After the issues on the A85 over the weekend, the diversion via the A819,A85 and A82 through Dalmally is now clear.
In the Cowal area, CalMac sailings between Gourock and Dunoon have been cancelled due to issues with linkspan issues at Dunoon, with Western Ferries services between Hunter’s Quay and Gourock are operating.
The A85 road near Dalmally and Lochawe has re-opened, but there are still road closures in place at Methven near Perth due to the flooding.
BEAR Scotland said: “We are continuing to assess the situations locally while waiting for the flood waters to subside, but a local diversion is in place.”
BEAR Scotland’s North West representative, Ian Stewart added: “The scale of the operation to clear the A83 is considerable, but the teams on site are working hard and for as long as they can safely do so.
“We’re working with partners to assess current conditions and continue the clean up in advance of further rain forecast on Tuesday.
“We want to thank the local residents in the area for their patience. Our priority is to get the road open again as soon as possible, while ensuring the safety of those on site.”
Several Argyll & Bute Council operated roads also remain closed, with the local authority estimating that 5,000 tonnes of debris fell onto the A816 road at Ardfern.
Argyll & Bute Council added: “There appear to be a number of potentially unsafe boulders between 10 and 20 tonnes on the hillside which we need to make safe.
“Some people have been out climbing the adjacent hillside to take photos – please keep clear of the area for your own safety.”
Elsewhere, the A815 remains closed north of St Catherine’s due to a landslip before the road’s junction with the A83 near Cairndow.
In this instance, the council said that between 250 and 300 tonnes of debris had landed on the road, noting that the A83 was closed at the Dunoon road end, making it difficult to travel north from Cowal.
An inspection was due to take place on the B836 at 10am on Monday, with the latest from information from the council noting that it was still closed after a bridge collapse and a landslip.
Further north, the B840 road remains shut between Ford and Eredine due to several landslips and the minor C30 road on the west banks of Loch Awe has been closed.
As Argyll & Bute Council’s efforts to clear the roads continue, the A814 and A815 roads have both been re-opened and are passable with care.