Roadside verges

Vote now - safe road sides and new verges?

Post in Ideas by Pamela Morrison
An idea has been put forward that the A832 really needs to be safer in terms of road side access - do you agree?

Keep pedestrians, pram and wheelchair users safe!

Safe road sides and verges for pedestrians, pram and wheelchair users. 

The A 832 is not a Trunk road so we need a voice, especially in the light of increased volume of traffic from April to October when we need to be outside.

What do you think, do you agree and whose responsibility is it?

Vote now.

Photos provided by Kenny Maclean - Chair of Garve & District Community Council

Roadside Verges

Roadside Verges Water

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Result

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Questions & Comments

Here's what others said...

P

Pamela Morrison said:

Would like to emphasise the verge problem on the A 832  as being  caused by the large rocky infil after cable was laid from Grudie to KInlochewe .Impossible to walk on. Should have been rolled, at least.

Lynne Shearer said:

We think the 40 mph speed limit needs to be extended to beyond the Gorstan junction - vehicles approaching the A835 junction are far too fast and if you are a pedestrian (maybe walking a dog like we do) it is quite scary. Motorbikes in particular are a real nuisance as they accelerate rapidy on joining the A832 from the A835 causing noise pollution and a safety nuisance. Same applies to extend the 40mph to after the Little Garve junction as traffic comes haring down that road from Ullapool in patricular.

Tina Hartley said:

What can we do to take this forward, whose responsibility is it do you think?  Would community representation to the Garve and District Community Council be the way to go, I know they have a meeting soon?

Tina Hartley said:

Note from Kenny at the Community Council ... Speed limit was extended west of Garve Hotel to Hazelbrae corner over 20 years ago. At the time truck roads authority (BEAR) could not extend further to Gorstan Junction or Little Garve Junction as that didn't meet the (then) criteria. Community Council have asked various times since about this and have been told that the original speed limit extension would not happen now as criteria has changed again. We have suggested police cameras and double yellow lines at Gorstan Junction to HC, BEAR and Police due to the number of accidents. A 40mph was also suggested for Lochluichart however, there needs to be three deaths at a location before anything might change.

Pavement in Achanalt was suggested before. The Highland Council have repeatedly said they have no plans to install one in such a rural location. Verge reinstatements works were completed over a year ago and were signed off by Roads Department at The Highland Council.

If anyone in the community has new ideas that might work regarding these issues, I'm happy to hear them - garveanddistrictcc@yahoo.com

P

Pamela Morrison said:

Pavements not required. Just simple grass verges as they were before the power cables to Grudie Power Station were dug in.The job was never * made good *.

Blair Millen said:

My understanding of this issue is that the grass verges along the edge of the road in question (A832) were dug up to install power lines/cabling/pipes and not returned to their original state. In their original state it was possible to walk on the grass verges but at present the surface is so rocky and uneven that walking is positively dangerous. So the idea I'm backing is to get the verges fixed, i.e. flattened or smoothed off

Many will be surprised to hear the job was "signed off by Roads Department at The Highland Council" but, giving the council the benefit of the doubt, I can only assume the resulting mess is down to budget cuts and not general shoddiness.

Tina Hartley said:

Response from Kenny - GDCC:-

"The verges were signed off by HC AFTER top soil had made the verges good about a year ago."

K

Kerrie Doswell said:

As far as I'm aware, the grass verge in Achanalt was only dug up on one side of the road, the side opposite the station. On the station side it is still just grass as it always was. Perhaps an easier, more cost effective option might be to request that the grass verge is cut occasionally? That would be helpful both to  pedestrians and improve visibility for motorists too!

Tina Hartley said:

Response from Kenny, GDCC:-

Re Kerrie's comment ... "yes only one verge was dug up for the cable. I walked the other verge yesterday with no issues. HC cut verges one a year. I see some people in Achanalt cut the verge outside their homes which is nice to see. The other verge could be used by pedestrians until the issues with the first verge are resolved as acknowledged yesterday but some Achanalt residents I spoke too."

Tina Hartley said:

Hi Folks, further update from Kenny - Garve & District Community Council:-

"I walked the grass verges between Strathbran and Achanalt House this afternoon (Saturday 26 January).  Since I last walked them on 7 June 2018, top soil has either sunk in or washed away.  Ditches and offlets have also become an issue.  I will report the issues to The Highland Council accordingly."

Kenny took lots of photos to which he sent over to me, I will attempt to add a couple to the post.

K

Kenny Ross said:

I think there’s little chance of the council doing anything about the verges when they seem unable to even treat the roads in the bad weather conditions between Achnasheen to Garve. This road has been nothing short of a disgrace the last two days yet as soon as you hit Garve the road is clear and black. This issue needs to be addressed urgently before the worst happens.

P

Pamela Morrison said:

The main problem for PEDESTRIANS  in Achanalt is that between Auldtown and the Viaduct it s not possible to face the oncoming traffic unless walking on the road itself when going west. It is necessary to keep stepping onto the rocks which brings one to a standstill when the volume of traffic is high, most of the year at certain times and all the time in April to October. As for cutting on left side going East, H.C. tried but the machjne operator had to abandon  the attempt to prevent damaging the machine..

Tina Hartley said:

Exert from GDCC Minutes, 5 February 2019:-

"Following mixed reports about the state of the grass verges in Achanalt, our Chairman went for a walk on Saturday 26 January 2019 to see the verges for himself. He walked from Strathbran to Achanalt House.  The last time our Chairman walked these verges was with Iain Moncrieff on Thursday 7 June 2018. Since then the top soil has sunk in to the verges or perhaps been washed away. Ditches and offlets also now need cleaned out and the edge of the road is breaking up in places. The Chairman took photos of the verges to share with Community Council members.  Our Chairman also showed Community Council members present at this meeting a video of the verges.  The Secretary noted that the top soil placed on the verges in Grudie Bridge was of poor quality.  It contained glass and the verges have never been right.  All these issues have been reported to The Highland Council and SSE.  Cllr Dr Ian Cockburn will also look into this matter.  The other verge which has not been dug up in Achanalt could be used by pedestrians until the issues with the first verge are resolved.  This was acknowledged by some Achanalt residents.  As these issues have been raised through the Development Company, our Chairman has kept Tina and Lucy informed, for which they are most grateful."

P

Pamela Morrison said:

There are stone pickers working along our once grassy verges.After I have have walked up to the viaduct and back I will say a big thankyou to the Community Council for their help. It may not be until the annual cut ( and maybe more) has taken place but I am already looking forward to it...

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