Argyll and Bute Council has announced it is hoping that the A816 at Ardfern can reopen “around the middle to end of November.”
In an update on Wednesday afternoon, the council also said an “outline alternative route” through a forested area using an existing forest planting track “and then across unmade ground to connect back to the A816” is also being progressed as an “emergency route.”
The council says this will “provide a facility to bypass the section currently affected” by the giant landslide that blocked the road during the extreme weather on October 7.
“The initial focus had to be on stabilising and safely bringing down precarious boulders on the hillside,” said the council.
“From the surveys carried out we knew that the largest of these boulders weighed up to 70 tonnes.
“Clearing the area of these had to be our main initial priority to enable debris to be safely cleared from the road.
“With that initial safety work complete, work is progressing on clearing up the 6000 tonnes of debris on the road.
“Working with Forest and Land Scotland we have an arrangement in place to dispose of the debris at a disused quarry locally.
“We have removed almost 2,000 tonnes already.
“The vehicles trapped by the initial landslide are now accessible and arrangements will be made for safe recovery.
“Some of the upper soil slopes have been stabilised and a rope access system is now in place, which will allow further assessment of the hillside and large boulders.
“At this stage we are hopeful the road can reopen around the middle to end of November.
“The road remains closed with a diversion in place which is via the A83 – A819 – A85 or vice versa.
“Whilst we aim to reopen a route along the A816 corridor as quickly as we can we will only do so when it is safe to do so.
“Meetings have taken place with the landowner of the affected hillside, who also owns land to the east of the landslip.
“An outline alternative route through a forested area using an existing forest planting track and then across unmade ground to connect back to the A816 is also being progressed as an emergency route.
“This will provide a facility to bypass the section currently affected by the landslip. This will be dependent on land agreements and the outcome of discussions with Historic Scotland.
“We have had positive feedback in terms of ecological and architectural surveys/consents and are looking to move the temporary route forward.”
On the status of the closure of the C30 road on West Loch Awe due to landslides, the council said: “Communities can gain access from either end but are unable to travel through.
“We expect this road to be closed until around week ending Friday November 10 .”
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The council said that with initial safety work complete, work is progressing on clearing up the 6,000 tonnes of debris on the road.