A835 roadworks misery sparks demands for action from fed-up Ross-shire residents; calls for Bear Scotland, Network Rail and government to act ‘before someone is killed’
Notorious long-running roadworks on the A835 trunk road need to be finished "now before someone is killed", fed up residents have demanded.
A section of the busy trunk road, which connects the A9 to Ullapool and the key ferry crossing to Lewis, has been reduced to one lane south of Garve since the beginning of the year after a lorry left the road and damaged a retaining wall overlooking the Kyle of Lochalsh railway line, which runs right next to it.
Bear Scotland, which maintains the road for Transport Scotland, and Network Rail, which maintains the railway, quickly began liaising over plans for the repairs.
But the complexity of the location right next to the railway, and the nature of the damage, means the road is still down to one lane with temporary traffic lights 10 months later.
What's more, the repairs - which have grown more complex after the retaining wall was found to be compromised - and the planned installation of new crash barriers are not now expected to be complete until sometime in the summer of next year.
Indeed work is not even expected to begin until spring of 2025 - a full year after the crash which caused the damage.
This has left local residents tearing their hair out in frustration over the prospect of 18 months of constant disruption - with some saying tailbacks are wreaking havoc on their ability to make appointments or being late for care commitments.
On top of that they say the traffic lights have repeatedly developed faults which leave them stuck on red or green - sometimes in both directions - causing either massive tailbacks or resulting in dangerous situations where traffic comes head-on at vehicles travelling the other way.
And despite what they say were repeated warnings this it was an "accident waiting to happen", the recurring fault was never fully resolved and a collision took place at the roadworks site earlier this week.
That crash, which came after months of complaints, has sparked criticism locally - with fed up residents believing it sums up their feelings that they are being ignored. And they have demanded that the works be completed as soon as possible.
Kenny Maclean, chairman of Garve & District Community Council, said: "Many times the traffic lights have not worked, either both stuck on red or green. I said it was an accident waiting to happen and last Monday evening proved it.
"The recent community survey has also shown that the community are quite rightly concerned about traffic issues. I call on Network Rail and Transport Scotland to get this road fixed, not words, but action now before someone is killed."
Local resident Sadie-Michaela Harris, who reached out to the Ross-shire Journal to raise the alarm, also expressed concerns about the endless delays and faulty lights.
She said the community "understands that the repair work will be challenging given the restricted working area", the location right next to the railway, and the discovery that damage to the wall is worse than first thought.
But she also said the status quo must not be allowed to drag on.
"It seems that there is no fire under the agencies involved to return the road to its fully operational state - if there was we would not still be living with it as is for the past 10 months with a design yet to be presented and accepted!" she said.
"Does there need to be a fatality before all parties involved take this matter seriously?"
She added that the community had reached out to local MSP Maree Todd to intervene in a bid to speed up the work, but "despite every effort locally and intervention from Maree" the road is not expected to be fully reopened until the summer.
Ms Todd said: "I appreciate the frustration and concerns of the local community regarding the challenges that have arisen as a result of roadworks on the section of the A835, just south of Garve. Given the scale of damage caused and risk to safety, it’s crucial that the restoration work to the barrier is complete, with that being said, it is important that this work is done with least disruption to the community.
"Since February, I have been working with the community to raise their concerns with Transport Scotland and Network Rail. I understand that the damage caused to the wall was more significant than originally anticipated so the existing wall cannot be repaired, which has resulted in delays.
"Going forward, it’s crucial that that the community is assured of the road’s safety during this period of works. I will continue to engage with Transport Scotland and stakeholders to ensure that the community’s concerns are listened to and addressed."
Asked for comment on the delayed repairs, Bear Scotland's north-west representative, Ian Stewart, said: “The temporary traffic lights on the A835 at Garve have been in place since a section of the safety barrier was struck by a vehicle, causing damage to the retaining wall which supports the carriageway.
“On behalf of Transport Scotland, we are currently designing a solution to repair the damage. In view of the railway track below the retaining wall, we cannot repair it on a like for like basis. To ensure a fully compliant design for a new wall there are processes that must be followed. These unfortunately take time, and we are looking at ways to fast track them to allow the repair to commence as soon as possible with an anticipated completion date of Summer 2025. In the meantime, the temporary safety barrier and traffic lights are in place to protect both members of the public and the railway line below.
“We have received reports from members of the public about the traffic lights and are carrying out daily checks to ensure these are working correctly.
“We understand that these measures have an impact on the local community and thank road users for their patience when stopped at a red light.”
