THE Scottish Government has shelled out an “eye-watering” £16 million on consultancy fees in under four years for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful, according to Scottish Conservative MSP Tim Eagle.
The Rest and Be Thankful section has been plagued by landslips in recent years, forcing motorists to use the Old Military Road which runs parallel and sits downhill from the A83.
Just two weeks ago, the Rest and be Thankful stretch was shut as an emergency due to heavy rainfall which resulted in increased saturation levels on the hillside.
But before any improvements have actually started, officials have already spent £16.1 million on design and assessment work since 2021.
In 2023 alone, £6.6m was forked out while a further £4.8m had been spent this year up until August 16.
Transport Scotland has been working on short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions to keep the vital section of road operational. Its preferred long-term solution is a 1.4km long “debris flow shelter” spanning the road that would keep falling rocks and other material off the carriageway.
Scottish Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, Tim Eagle, said: “These are eye-watering sums of money being spent on consultants before a spade has even hit the ground.
“Motorists have suffered misery on this key route for far too long but there still appears to be no end in sight despite all of this money being spent.
“I am pleased a preferred solution has finally been found after years of dither and delay, however the SNP government must ensure that spending doesn’t spiral out of control, as we have already seen with other projects.
“The constant closures and diversions that motorists are having to put up with are causing significant harm to the local economy the longer they go on.
“I will continue to push the SNP government to ensure construction work is started as a matter of urgency rather than just endless sums of money being thrown at consultants.
“This is a critical route for rural communities which must be made fit for purpose as soon as possible.”
