Campaigners fighting plans for four years of traffic restrictions at the Rest and Be Thankful have warned the proposals could cost the Argyll economy as much as £675 million.
A growing campaign involving local businesses, community representatives and politicians is calling on the Scottish Government to abandon plans for a single-lane convoy system while a permanent solution is built on the landslip-prone A83.
The latest warning follows a meeting at the Scottish Parliament, where Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn heard concerns about the impact on tourism, haulage, farming and communities across Argyll and Bute.
Representatives told the Cabinet Secretary that maintaining reliable two-way access was essential to the region’s economic future.
The meeting brought together the Rest and Be Thankful Campaign Group, local councillors, business representatives and politicians from different parties, including SNP MP Brendan O’Hara, SNP MSP Jenni Minto and Labour MSP Jackie Baillie.
Despite the strength of opposition, no decision was reached and the Transport Secretary has yet to announce whether the Scottish Government will change its proposed approach.
The dispute centres on the construction of a permanent shelter designed to protect the A83 from landslides.
The Scottish Government’s preferred solution involves building around 1.4km of protective shelter along the existing road, preventing rocks, mud and debris from blocking traffic.
The project is expected to take between three and four years to complete, with the estimated cost reaching between £408 million and £510 million at late-2024 prices.
During construction, Transport Scotland proposes diverting traffic onto an improved Old Military Road, which runs through Glen Croe below the existing A83.
The route would operate with traffic lights and a single-lane convoy system, potentially leaving drivers facing restrictions throughout the construction period.
Campaigners argue the consequences could be devastating for a region that depends heavily on road connections with Glasgow and the Central Belt.
The Rest and Be Thankful Campaign Group has estimated that the economic impact could reach between £550 million and £675 million over the construction period. These figures are campaign estimates rather than an independently established forecast.
Businesses fear that repeated delays would increase delivery costs, discourage visitors and make it harder to attract investment.
The A83 is a vital connection for communities including Inveraray, Lochgilphead, Campbeltown and the wider Kintyre peninsula, as well as travellers heading to Scotland’s west coast islands.
South Kintyre councillor John Armour said the recent meeting had demonstrated the level of opposition to the convoy proposals.
He welcomed the agreement between politicians, businesses and community representatives that reliable two-way access must be maintained.
The councillor warned that businesses travelling along the road several times a day could face repeated delays, while tourists might be discouraged from visiting the region.
Campaign group chairman John Gurr also raised the issue at Holyrood’s Transport Committee on 28 October.
He told MSPs that residents had already endured two decades of disruption because of landslides, closures and roadworks.
“It has cost the Government £82 million over the past 10 years to keep that road open,” he said.
Gurr warned that unreliable access also affected patients travelling to hospitals in Glasgow, while creating uncertainty for businesses considering investment in Argyll.
The campaign group wants Transport Scotland to reconsider three alternatives designed to maintain two-way traffic during construction.
These include upgrading an existing forestry track on the opposite side of Glen Croe, widening the Old Military Road or developing a system using both routes to allow traffic to travel in different directions.
The forestry track, known as the Green Route, is the campaigners’ preferred option.
Transport Scotland has estimated that developing it into a two-way road could cost between £239 million and £255 million, with construction potentially taking several years to begin.
Officials have also raised concerns about landslide risks along the alternative route and warned that changing the interim arrangements could delay the permanent solution and increase costs.
Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn has stressed the importance of road-user safety and said the views of local communities would be considered before a final decision.
Transport Scotland maintains that its proposed improvements to the Old Military Road would offer a more resilient diversion at a lower cost and in a shorter timescale than the alternative options examined.
The Scottish Government has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a permanent solution to the Rest and Be Thankful as quickly as possible.
For now, uncertainty remains over both the construction timetable and the arrangements that will keep Argyll connected while the work takes place.
Meanwhile, separate maintenance work is continuing on the existing A83, with temporary traffic lights reinstated on Monday 9 November.
Campaigners say their central demand remains unchanged – Argyll must retain a reliable two-way road throughout construction, rather than face another four years of disruption.