THE OPERATING company responsible for the maintenance of the A83 has pledged to spend nearly £6 million improving the ‘disintegrating’ road.
Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands councillors have declared war on the potholed road from Campbeltown to Ardrishaig, and are demanding action by Scotland Transerv before lives are lost and ‘Kintyre is cut off from civilisation’.
Campbeltown’s Councillor Donald Kelly branded the road between Campbeltown and Ardrishaig a ‘disgrace’ while colleague Rory Colville warned that a motorcyclist could be killed near Stonefield if the rut in the middle of the road is not repaired now. Speaking at the latest meeting of Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands area committee meeting in Lochgilphead, he added: ‘The road is disintegrating and at the very least we should be able to make TranservScotland put up a sign to warn motorcyclists of the dangers they face on our roads.’
A report by Stewart Turner, head of roads and amenity services at Argyll and Bute Council said that Transerv has proposed to spend nearly half of its £11 million budget on road works on the A83 in Argyll and Bute.
He also revealed that Transerv’s budget has been cut by Transport Scotland by up to 30 per cent this year, which Councillor Kelly described as ‘scandalous’. He added: ‘The budget has been cut when it should have increased. This is something the public need to know about as we are the ones who get the flak for the state of the roads.’
Despite being invited to attend the meeting, Transerv failed to send a representative to answer questions from the councillors on behalf of the public.
Councillor Alison Hay said: ‘There should be a transparency in this process and it’s ludicrous that they have no courtesy to come to a meeting and answer questions when they are under contract.’
Tarbert Councillor John McAlpine said that although there has been ‘slight improvements,’ Transerv should be inspecting the potholes on a weekly basis and if that was not possible, Argyll and Bute Council should be identifying them instead to provide people with the service they expect.
Mr Turner said that taking into account the budget available to Transerv and the condition of the existing road network, that ‘funding apportioned to this part of the network is more than reasonable and it will help address the various network issues in this area’.
Concerned Lochgilphead Councillor Donnie MacMillan said the state of roads in Mid Argyll is a serious problem and something has to be done before it gets worse.
Schemes listed for the Lochgilphead-Tarbert area where there is most concern include West Tarbert, Stonefield, Ardrishaig south and south of Barrhill.
There are also a number of schemes that have been identified for overlay and patching works including Auchindrain, West Loch Tarbert and Kilmichael Beag.
It is expected that £700,000 will be spent upgrading the road between Kennacraig and Ardrishaig.
