Thursday, February 07, 2013

Loch Lomond road will be out for 14 weeks from October


(The connection between our cottage in Scotland and jazz is very tenuous and I apologise for the ps).

Pulpit Rock has been a standing joke for years. These lights convert the road around a 1/2 mile stretch of the Loch Lomond road into one way traffic. They were put up 30 years ago, and described then as "Temporary". Yeah, right, temporary. Of course.

At a cost of £9 million the road is to be converted to a viaduct over the edge of the Loch. Add a few £mill to that if public works estimates are run to order. It will be like the viaduct around the top end of Loch Awe by the Cruachan works built in 1976. So this will take off about 4 minutes from the journey from Glasgow to Inverness via Loch Lomond.

But it will make this route much much more accessible for heavy lorries and big vehicles. The road is already one of the ten most dangerous in Scotland, mostly because of stupid overtaking of slow moving vehicles. This is not the most dangerous bit.

Wait a minute. I agree this is a major road with A road connections to Fort William and Inverness. At present most of the major Highlands traffic goes up the more robust, faster A9 through Pitlochry.

When these major roadworks are completed a lot of that traffic - particularly for Skye, will use the Loch Lomond road. That puts pressure on the Moor of Rannoch, Glen Coe and the awful stretch between the Corran ferry and Fort William. Loch Ness side is a disaster. Overtaking mainly is the problem followed by speeding, motor cyclists, white van drivers - a total nightmare.

The road along Loch Lomond will be closed for 14 weeks after October. I suppose it is progress, but I don't like it. It was never a major problem slowing down, they are not going to get rid of all the twists and turns anyway. Don't know.

Progress. Don'tcha love it?

John
PS Sorry about this bit, but  need to get some pages of a jazz website promoted and if I give them links from here, then that will help.

Jazz bands in Sussex The sussex Gershwin tribute jazz band Jazz Smugglers NOSTALGIA show in Sussex The leading jazz band in Sussex, Jazz smugglers Sussex jazz workshop every Sunday Jazz Smugglers plays at all the Sussex Festivals Romantic background jazz in Sussex Small jazz trio for a Sussex party band How to promote your event and gigs

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