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 now declared war on the pot-holed road from Campbeltown to Ardrishaig and are demanding action by Scotland Transerv before lives are lost and the Kintyre peninsula is ‘cut off from civilisation’.
Speaking at the latest meeting of the committee in Lochgilphead, Kintyre coulcillor Rory Colville said: ‘The road is disintegrating and at the very least we should be able to make Transerv Scotland 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 revealed that Transerv has proposed to spend nearly half of its £11 million budget on the A83.
He also revealed that Transerv’s budget has been cut by Transport Scotland by 30 per cent this year.
Despite being invited to attend the meeting, Transerv failed to send a representative to answer questions from the councillors.
Tarbert councillor John McAlpine said that although there have 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.
Schemes listed for the Lochgilphead and Tarbert areas 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 nearly £700,000 will be spent upgrading the A83 trunk road between Kennacraig and Ardrishaig.
