A78 CARLOCK WALL LANDSLIP PREVENTION SCHEME

UPDATE (DECEMBER 2022)

Please note that as of Thursday 22^nd December 2022, the A77 Carlock Wall mainline has fully re-opened to traffic and a new barrier has been installed at this location. Traffic management has been removed and the road has been swept.

Some final slope stabilisation works will be undertaken in the New Year, but these will be off the main carriageway. However, there will be a requirement for occasional traffic management (the use of Stop/Go boards) on the mainline for short periods during these works.

We would like to thank road users and the community for their patience and understanding throughout this scheme.

UPDATE (November 2022)

Amey, on behalf of Transport Scotland, are undertaking the final phase of slope stabilisation work on the A77 at Carlock Wall, south of Ballantrae. This scheme will reinstate both carriageway lanes on the A77 at Carlock Wall, with the removal of the existing traffic management including the temporary traffic light system. 

From 8pm on Friday 9th December to 6am on Monday 12th December 2022, a full road closure will be in effect to allow continuous working over the course of the weekend. During these dates, access will be restricted to residents and emergency service vehicles only. Two additional overnight closures will be implemented on Monday 12th December and Tuesday 13th December to complete the road works and lining works. On these dates, the road will be open for public use from 6am to 8pm, each day. 

Following surfacing completion by 6am on Wednesday 14th December, the VRS (vehicle restraint system) barrier installation will commence with anticipated completion expected by Wednesday 21st December. Barrier installation works will be undertaken during daylight hours using temporary traffic lights. All traffic management will be removed by Thursday 22nd December and the full carriageway width on the A77 at Carlock Wall will be reinstated. 

A fully signed diversion route will be operational during the road closure, between the above dates. The road closure will extend from Cairnryan to Ballantrae.  

Northbound traffic will be directed from Cairnryan along the A75 to Newton Stewart. Northbound traffic will then be directed to Girvan via A714 to reach the A77 and continue to Ayr. 

Works will continue up to March 2023 with the construction of a new access track and layby out with the road network, for operational access and maintenance purposes. 

Access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles, under escort, while this work is taking place. 

We wish to thank the community and the travelling public for their continued patience and understanding while this final phase of stabilisation work is completed, and the road is re-opened. 

Please note, all schemes are weather dependent and may be cancelled or rescheduled if weather conditions are not favourable. 

UPDATE (July 2022)

Work on the A77 Carlock Wall landslip prevention scheme required an additional element of work to be carried out, over and above the original design, and this changed the original expected completion date of the project.

To ensure the work was completed to the required specifications, the additional works were tendered to suitable contractors, and one was chosen. The contractor undertaking the original project design was required to vacate the site for a period of time to allow this new contractor to come on site and complete the additional improvement works. This work has been completed and the original contractor has now re-mobilised and is continuing the project to completion. This is what caused the apparent lull in activity at the site, however the additional works were completed to schedule.

The expected completion date of this scheme remains the Autumn of this year. We thank local residents, the travelling public and other stakeholders impacted by these essential works for their continued patience and understanding.

UPDATE (Nov 2021)

Amey, on behalf of Transport Scotland, will resume construction on ground improvement works to address the potential for landslip at Carlock Wall, south of Ballantrae, after a revised programme of work was signed off by third party checkers.

From Monday 15^th November 2021, the works site will be established with construction to install additional ground anchors and earthworks to the lower slope of the site which will commence in the coming weeks. The completion date for this additional work has been revised to April 2022. Following this, works will re-commence to construct the originally designed reinforced earth retaining wall and reconstruct the A77 road, completion date for the scheme is expected to be next Autumn and will be confirmed. Please note, all schemes are weather dependent and may be delayed if weather conditions are not favourable.

New issues were detected during the construction of the A77 Carlock Wall by Amey, including difficult and unexpected geotechnical ground conditions. This project’s success is heavily reliant on favourable ground conditions and these discoveries required a full re-design of the construction works and programme. The updated programme of construction has been through a rigorous development process to address ground stability issues and allow the original reinforced earth retaining wall to be constructed.

Conditions on the A77 at Carlock Wall are closely monitored by our engineering team and we thank road users for their patience as we ensure the safe development of this improvement scheme that will provide long term benefits on the route.

Drivers, and particularly those heading for ferry services, are advised to allow some additional time for their journeys while these works are progressing. Special arrangements will be made for emergency service vehicles; however, no extra specifications have been made for windfarm traffic or other oversized vehicles.

Our operatives will follow strict physical distancing and hygiene protocols throughout the programme, in line with the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 guidance.

• A free Road Work Alerts service is available from our website: https://swtrunkroads.scot/roadwork-alerts/ An email address is all that is required to sign up for the service.
• To report a problem on the network please visit: https://swtrunkroads.scot/report-a-problem/
• Real-time journey information can be obtained by visiting www.trafficscotland.org  or via Twitter: @TrafficScotland