A83 Rest and Be Thankful diverted until at least Monday following heavy rain

Weekend traffic is to be disrupted as the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will continue to be closed until at least Monday following a period of heavy rain.

The major road through Argyll has been closed since 12pm on Wednesday following a yellow weather warning for rain.

That alert ended at 10pm on Wednesday but Traffic Scotland said diversions via Old Military Road will stay in place until at least Monday.

Following a safety review on Thursday morning, BEAR Scotland said that the Old Military Road will be open for A83 Rest and Be Thankful traffic until Monday April 15, as a precaution.

Significant movements on the hillside continued overnight following the very heavy rain which has also brought boulders to the surface causing concern for the safety of the operation of the A83.

The road maintenance and management firm said that over the weekend the boulder risk will be dealt with and the movement of the hillside will be monitored through the continued wet weather.

A decision will be made about returning traffic to the A83 trunk road on the morning of Monday.

Use of the Old Military Road, which runs parallel to the A83, will maintain traffic flow along the A83 corridor and protect road users.

Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s north west representative, said: “While we monitor the situation closely, we’ve decided to use the Old Military Road as a proactive safety measure.

“We understand that this can be inconvenient and we apologise for any disruption, but safety remains the priority. Using the Old Military Road will ensure the route remains accessible for travellers, keeping Argyll very much open for business.”