Scots hauliers angry over A82 repair plans
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By David Harris A PLAN TO SHUT the only road south of Fort William every night for three months has infuriated Scottish hauliers.
The proposal to shut the Golden Mile stretch of the A82 at Acintore Road for resurfacing would mean that the only available alternative route would turn some 25-mile journeys into 250 miles.
Managing director of Ferguson Transport (Spean Bridge), Alisdair Ferguson, says that rescheduling trips for daytime hours isn’t always possible because some work, such as salmon distribution, needs to be completed overnight in order for it to reach its market in a it state to sell.
He adds: “Our worry is that the A82 is the main route into central Scotland.” Among the irms that Ferguson hauls for is Marine Harvest, a salmon producer that needs overnight deliveries 48 weeks of the year. A Ferguson truck that is taking ish 25 miles north to Fort William would face a 250-mile detour via Glencoe, Crianlarich, Perth and Spean Bridge.
Transport Scotland, which is responsible for the road, says that initial plans to close the road in September have been scrapped and it is now in talks with the council in Lochaber over the least disruptive time to do the work.
A spokeswoman adds: “We are reconsidering the timing of the work, but not the work itself. It needs to be done.”