Rest and be Thankful route options

[gammy leg walker]

https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/project-corridor-options-access-to-argyll-and-bute-a83/?fbclid=IwAR23nQ4gS-6QmUwOmbuAgfI7duGyqRBcrT8w5dAacNlrWZI5nmhfb6q4BPA

Some interesting route options at initial stage

[jmarkb]

The Norwegian solution would be to stick a tunnel in - I wonder why that's not an option? Too expensive, I guess.

[Sunset tripper]

The Norwegian solution would be to stick a tunnel in - I wonder why that's not an option? Too expensive, I guess.

Wouldn't think it would be as expensive as some of the options which include bridging the firth of clyde at wee cumbrae. I guess it will end up being some sort of option 1, as a lot of the options seem pie in the sky.

A tunnel would be great but as you say probably too expensive.

[bootsandpaddles]

Options 2 and 3 would lead to a lot of extra traffic on the A82 up Lochlomondside so would seem to me to be non-starters unless the A82 was significantly improved. It's bad enough as it is.

[al78]

I'm guessing whatever solution is decided will be one that can be implemented with minimal degradation of the beauty of the area. That was a consideration when they upgraded the A3 near Hindhead, and is why they went with a tunnel.

[rockhopper]

I think if I stayed in Lochgilphead or Dunoon, option 7 would be good but, as noted above, I suspect, on grounds of cost, a beefed up option 1 may seem more likely - interesting to see the outcome.

[magicdin]

The Norwegian solution would be to stick a tunnel in - I wonder why that's not an option? Too expensive, I guess.

Best solution IMO

[Glengavel]

Options 2 and 3 would lead to a lot of extra traffic on the A82 up Lochlomondside so would seem to me to be non-starters unless the A82 was significantly improved. It's bad enough as it is.

Not forgetting the inevitable objections about building new roads through virgin territory.

4-10 means tunnels or bridges so they are non-starters.

It's going to be 1.

[DopeyLoser]

[Checks calendar, no it is not April 1st] Where to begin with this?

Obviously the decision, if anyone at Transport Scotland / Scotgov is capable of making a decision, is to go with option 1 which is to fix the Glen Croe problem in Glen Croe.

But it appears there must be rules which require public input.

So the task must be to create nonsensical pie-in-the-sky ludicrous options in order to appear to be following procedure.

In fact, although option 1 is obviously the choice, they have not managed to define what option 1 really is. It could be a 1.5km rebuild of a section of the old A83; or it could be a 4.3km road on the south side of Glen Croe

And with sarcasm cap firmly in position:

option 2 looks great because let's face it when you're driving from Inverary to Glasgow, you really want to go up to Inverarnan then down the dreadful section of A82 that has not been touched in decades (oh but a 2017 initiative said they would upgrade this road to be 7.3m yes 24 feet wide...)
- and for hillwalkers it gives new access points for Beinns Ime, Vane, Vorlich, Lui etc. Will there be sufficient parking?

option 3 gets you up Glen Fyne, again to Inverarnan. But you'll be able to park right under Beinn Bhuidhe. What's not to like?

option 4: now it's getting interesting. Down to Ardentinny, then back up Loch Long, then a bridge (???) across the loch, then over a hill to Garelochhead.

But that means people coming from Lochgilphead still need to drive up to Inverary, so let's get creative here. Consider

option 5: they call it Otter Ferry because there used to be a ferry! So what we need is a bridge (or a tunnel like they do in Norway and the Faroes!) Get imaginative people! Let's cross Loch Fyne, over the steep hill to Loch Riddon, over the steep hill to Loch Striven ..... then to Ardentinny, but not the usual way, oh no let's go up Loch Eck first then down Glen Finart. And then up Loch Long, and then across Loch Long.....

umm, how does this help people get through Glen Croe ?????

In the end, I think my vote is for option 8. Because people driving on the A83 are not generally coming from / going to the central belt e.g. Glasgow. Most people are coming from / going to Ayrshire. So let's take them down to Bute, cross to Bute, drive through Rothesay, lovely place, all the way through Bute, then on a bridge/tunnel to Wee Cumbrae, then another, and they get directly to the popular destination of .... West Kilbride!

Potential here for hillwalkers to climb Lighthouse Hill on Wee Cumbrae, until now inaccessible to the outdoor fraternity....

Maybe I could propose option 12 to cross the Kilbrannan Sound to Arran then have a tunnel from Brodick. Big advantage: no new f-word-y required.

Okay folks, sorry, I droned on enough.

Just cannot believe people get paid good money to produce this kind of nonsense.

[BigTed]

The Glen Croe options were studied years ago. They went for the cheapest option of protecting the current road. It hasn't worked.

https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/13529/a83-rest-and-be-thankful-project-a83-trunk-road-route-study-report-part-a-final.pdf

Brief summery of Glen Croe options and 2012 costs

cheapest – sticking with the current road and building more defences £9-10 million.

2nd option – existing road with 1Km flow shelter – £105-120M

3rd option 1.2Km on a viaduct more or less existing line £83-95M

4th and 5th – follow line of old military road, then either through tunnel at top of pass £460-520M
or curves and climbs on surface £66-75M. The tunnel max grade 4%, surface road 8% max.

6th – A new road on the other side of the Glen. £27-91M. The cheaper end would be without good landslip protection so no improvement on existing road.

Option 4 is the best but most expensive. Add inflation and SNP procurement competence and it looks like a billion quid. Unjustfiable for the traffic volumes. So option 5 gets my vote.

Use the cash savedto upgrade the A82 north of Tarbert.

[davekeiller]

In my (albeit limited) experience, the consultation is generally performed once they've decided what they want to do and is written in such a way as to get the right answer.
This appears no different. I suspect that insufficient people who live in the affected area are aware of the consultation so it will get nodded through.