Landslides close A83 Rest and Be Thankful and Old Military Road as heavy rain batters country
The notorious stretch of road in Argyll and Bute is shut overnight as a yellow weather warning remains in place across the west of Scotland.
by Magdalene Dalziel, https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/authors/magdalene-dalziel/Ongoing landslides at the Rest and Be Thankful mean the A83 and nearby Old Military Road will remain closed overnight.
Motorists face disruption and delays for more than 60 miles.
Trunk road maintenance operator BEAR Scotland has announced the notorious Argyll and Bute routes have been impacted by landslips last night which took place overnight and continued today, making the stretch unsafe for drivers.
A yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for much of the west coast today until 11.59pm, as heavy rain batters the country.
A total of 10 flood alerts and one flood warning have been issued by experts at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Around 90mm of intense rainfall is affecting the hills which are situated alongside the A83.
The road was closed yesterday and safety assessments were due to be carried out this morning to ascertain if they could reopen.
A statement from BEAR Scotland reads: "Due to the ongoing nature of the landslide and continued rain we are unable to conclude safety assessments. The A83 and OMR will remain closed overnight. Diversion via A82,A85, A819."
Localised flooding has been reported across North Ayrshire, the Central Highlands, the Ochils and North, West and Central Highlands.
People living, working and travelling in Argyll, Easter Ross and Lochaberare were told yesterday to expect flooding to affect communities and disruption to infrastructure due to the heaviest rain throughout Sunday.
Traffic Scotland has issued high wind warnings for bridges across the country this afternoon and into the evening, including the Erskine Bridge, Forth Road and Tay Bridge.
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The Met Office warned of potential power cuts and disruption to driving throughout the west of Scotland, as well as the possibility of damage to some buildings and delays and cancellations to trains and bus services.
Earlier today we reported high winds caused part of a building near to a popular Lanarkshire pub to collapse.
Emergency services raced to The Barleycorn in Hamilton this morning after masonry fell from the building as torrential rain and winds continue to cause havoc.