A83 Rest and Be Thankful Closure
Signing
Feasibility Report
Document reference: 1209.035/001/0
Revision: 0
Issued: March 2013
Project Name:
Document Title:
A83 Rest and Be Thankful Closure Signing
1209.035/001/0
Executive Summary
A recent letter from Alan Reid MP has highlighted an issue regarding closures of the A83 at,
or near, the Rest and Be Thankful. There are no signs to warn local road users travelling
from either Lochgoilhead or Strachur areas when the A83 Rest & Be Thankful is closed. It
has been suggested that signs could be positioned outside the villages to warn drivers of
closures and save them a wasted journey, since their preferred alternative route to Glasgow
would be to travel south to Dunoon and use Western Ferries.
This study was initiated to investigate the feasibility of, and options available for, providing
signing on the routes out of the villages and the benefits they could provide in comparison to
other means of informing road users i.e. Traffic Scotland website / radio, Customer Care
Line, Twitter etc.
It was identified that there are numerous useful and reliable sources of traffic and route
information available which are being used regularly by some road users. The majority of this
information, however, remains available only to those who firstly, are aware of its existence
and secondly, have the means and knowledge of how to access it. There remains a number
of the population who may not regularly use the more modern means of communication such
as internet and mobile devices and who rely more on traditional means of information from
local radio, newspapers and also through word of mouth.
Installing signs in appropriate locations would provide a high visual impact and ensure that
more road users are informed of closure events. This would allow them to make informed
journey decisions and prevent wasted travelling time or cost. The physical presence of
signing in the appropriate locations would virtually guarantee road users get the information
they require whether or not they had other means of sourcing traffic or route news.
The preferred solution recommended in this report is for a phased implementation of
measures. The first phase would be a letter / leaflet drop to locals. These could be posted
out to target areas, informing them of the local route issues road users may face and the
various options available to them for sourcing real- time traffic and route information for their
area. This could potentially increase awareness of the various sources of traffic and route
info (TS website, Customer care line, twitter etc.) and lead to more people using the facilities
to make informed journey decisions and prevent wasted journeys.
The situation could then be monitored and should signing also be deemed necessary and
budget is available then sign installations could be carried out. The recommended option for
signing is a text activated sign with a variable LED sign face on the identified stretches north
of both Lochgoilhead (B839) and Strachur (A815).
Installation of these signs together with a targeted leaflet / letter campaign would cover most
eventualities and negate the need for any locals to undertake wasted journeys north towards
the A83 at times of road closures.
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Contents
1.
Introduction........................................................................................................................... 4
2.
Signing Options .................................................................................................................... 7
2.1.
Sign Types.............................................................................................................................. 7
2.2.
Sign Locations ...................................................................................................................... 10
2.3.
Cost Estimates ..................................................................................................................... 11
3.
Existing sources of information for Lochgoilhead / Strachur area road
users .................................................................................................................................... 12
3.1.
Traffic Scotland Info ............................................................................................................. 12
3.2.
Others ................................................................................................................................... 13
4.
Conclusion / Options ......................................................................................................... 14
4.1.
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 14
4.2.
Options ................................................................................................................................. 14
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List of Figures
Figure 1 - Location and Route Plan ................................................................................................. 5
Figure 2 - Illustration of Fixed Plate Message sign with Flashers ............................................... 7
Figure 3 - Illustration of LED sign face display options ................................................................ 8
Figure 4 - Example of LED sign face .................................................................................................. 8
Figure 5 - Example of Gateway 100 VMS ........................................................................................... 9
Figure 6 - B839 North of Lochgoilhead where signing could be located .......................................... 10
Figure 7 - A815 North of Strachur where signing could be located .................................................. 10
Figure 8 - Approximate costs for signing options ....................................................................... 11
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1.
Introduction
1.1.
Background
1.1.1.
A recent letter from Alan Reid MP has highlighted an issue regarding closures
of the A83 at, or near, the Rest and Be Thankful area. There are no signs to
warn local road users travelling from either Lochgoilhead or Strachur areas of
when the A83 Rest & Be Thankful is closed. Signs could be positioned outside
the villages to warn drivers of closures and save them a wasted journey, since
their preferred alternative route to Glasgow would be to travel south to
Dunoon and use Western Ferries.
1.1.2.
This study aims to investigate the feasibility and options available for providing
signing on the routes out of the villages and the benefits they could provide in
comparison to other means of informing road users i.e. Traffic Scotland
website / radio, Customer Care Line, Twitter etc.
1.2.
Location / Routes
1.2.1.
The villages of Lochgoilhead and Strachur are shown on the location plan
overleaf. Any road closures implemented on the A83 section (around Rest and
Be Thankful area highlighted) can prevent traffic from these villages travelling
by road (via A83 east then A82) towards Glasgow. The standard diversion
route is via the A83 west, A819, A85 and A82. The alternative option of
travelling south to Dunoon and taking the ferry across the Firth of Clyde and
onwards to Glasgow / The south also exists. These options have the effects of
increased journey time and costs for local road users.
1.2.2.
The journey from Lochgoilhead (population approx. 400) North along the B839
/ B828, to where it meets the A83 at Rest and Be Thankful (RBT) is approx.
9km long and typically takes around 15-20 minutes.
From Strachur (combined population with Strathlachlan is approx. 700) there
are 2 route options to reach the A83:
via the A815 to A83 East of Cairndow –approx. 16.5 km taking around
20-25 minutes
via the A815 / B839 / B828
to A83 RBT – approx. 23km taking
around 30-35 minutes
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Figure 1 - Location and Route Plan
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1.2.3.
The distances and journey times involved to get to the A83 to proceed to
Glasgow / The south are substantial. Due to the nature of the network here,
the A83 Rest & Be Thankful area has been subject to frequent road closures
in the past. Landslides, inclement weather (high ground subject to heavy snow
in winter) and other incident types have all contributed to numerous road
closure events. This results in inconvenience for locals from Lochgoilhead /
Strachurarea who undertake their journey only to be turned back at the A83 as
it is impassable.
1.2.4.
If signing was in place on the roads heading north out of Lochgoilhead /
Strachur it could be utilised to inform road users of any closures on the A83
(or other routes affecting their journeys). This would prevent wasted journeys
on the routes discussed above and allow road users to make informed
decision on alternative options. This signing could potentially be used to
supplement the existing means of information currently available to road users
from sources such as the Traffic Scotland website, radio, Customer Care Line,
Twitter etc.
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2.
Signing Options
2.1.
Sign Types
2.1.1.
Text Activated Fixed Plate Message With Flashing Ambers: This type of sign
could be considered for placing outside the village to inform road users of road
closures. A fixed
plate
message “A83 Closed when
lights Flash”
supplemented by flashing ambers (as per the example below) could be used.
Figure 2 - Illustration of Fixed Plate Message sign with Flashers
This type of sign can be activated from the Traffic Scotland Control Centre by
text message via a SIM card in the sign when required (a signal strength
survey would be recommended at proposed locations as this area is known
for poor coverage). It can be powered by mains supply or self-powered by
solar panel and wind turbine as shown above. This is useful in areas like the
routes in question where existing power supplies are less frequent.
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2.1.2.
Text Activated Sign with Variable LED sign face: Similar format to the sign
above except a variable LED sign face is used instead of a fixed plate with
flashers. With this sign the face remains dormant when not in use and only
illuminates when activated for the relevant events. Some variability can be
built into the sign face so different symbols could be employed for use in
various scenarios e.g. hazard, snow flake, rock fall supplemented by text as
per the examples below.
Figure 3 - Illustration of LED sign face display options
As per the fixed plate sign the variable LED can be activated from the Traffic
Scotland Control Centre by text message via a SIM card in the sign. It can
also be powered by mains supply or self-powered by solar panel and wind
turbine. See example in photograph below.
Figure 4 - Example of LED sign face
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2.1.3.
Fully Variable VMS sign (verge mounted): If budget allows and if appropriate
power sources could be found, a fully variable VMS sign could be installed on
the routes out of the villages. Gateway 100/160 type or 4x6MS4 type sign
could be employed. (see Gateway 100 type example below)
Figure 5 - Example of Gateway 100 VMS
These would offer the benefit of fully variable messaging for closure events on
the A83 as well as use for other incident types / general information. These
signs, however, are considerably more expensive and require a mains power
supply meaning a potentially high installation cost and a more restrictive
choice on where to site the signs.
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2.2.
A83 Rest and Be Thankful Closure Signing
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Sign Locations
2.2.1.
In order to inform as many road users as possible, signing could be located
just outside the villages on the routes heading towards the A83. For
Lochgoilhead the B839 North and for Strachur the A815 North:
Figure 6 - B839 North of Lochgoilhead where signing could be located
Figure 7 - A815 North of Strachur where signing could be located
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The optimal locations for any proposed signs can be determined at detailed design stage
where the following factors should be considered:

Site Line / Visibility

Road safety / DMRB TD19 issues

Signal Strength / comms link

Power Supply proximity (where relevant)

Location in relation to potential turning points

Environmental impact

Maintenance access;
2.3.
Cost Estimates
2.3.1.
The table below shoes the approximate costs that could be expected when
considering different sign types for installation at the locations mentioned
above:
Proposed Signing Type
Text Activation Fixed
plate message sign with
flashing ambers
Sign Costs
Design Costs
(base / TD19 / layout /
sign face/RSA etc.)
£2,500 each
£5,000 each
Text Activation Variable
LED sign face
£3,000 each
Fully Variable Gateway /
4x6 MS4 VMS sign
£4,500 each
Construction
Costs
£3,500 each
(inc jerol post, sign face,
solar/wind power and brackets)
(May vary
dependant on site
infrastructure
required)
£9,000 each
£3,500 each
(inc jerol post, sign face,
solar/wind power and brackets)
(May vary
dependant on site
infrastructure
required)
£18,000 each
(inc support post)
£17,500 each
Total Cost Est.
(for 2 No
sites)
£22,000
£31,000
£80,000
(May vary
dependant on site
infrastructure
required + power
supply costs)
Figure 8 - Approximate costs for signing options
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A83 Rest and Be Thankful Closure Signing
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Existing sources of information for Lochgoilhead / Strachur
area road users
3.1.
Traffic Scotland Info
3.1.1.
For the reasons highlighted previously in this report, information about driving
routes for residents in the Argyll and Bute area is essential to help road users
make informed decisions about their journeys. When looking at the options for
erecting signs on the relevant routes it is also worth considering the other
relevant sources of travel information that are available to local road users:

Traffic Scotland Website – The Traffic Scotland website
provides anybody with a link to the internet access to all real time and future
traffic information for Scotland. Users can view real time route specific
information showing current incidents, journey times and planned works. You
can also view live CCTV pictures on routes across the country as well as
weather station information and forecasts.
Traffic Scotland has also launched a mobile service (m.trafficscotland.org) that
allows all the real-time traffic information above to be accessed on the move.
The mobile service is now accessible on a wide range of internet enabled
mobile devices, including smartphones and tablet devices.

Traffic Scotland Radio - The Traffic Scotland internet radio service
provides frequent national traffic and travel information bulletins focussed on
the strategic motorway and trunk road networks streamed over the internet.
The service is available through the Traffic Scotland desktop and mobile
websites as well as the joint Traveline Scotland/Traffic Scotland smartphone
apps on iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and the latest BlackBerry
platforms.

RSS / Twitter - Traffic Scotland provide RSS (Really Simple
Syndication) Feeds to allow you to grab the latest traffic information for the
trunk road network in a way that is best suited to your needs. Twitter is a
social networking / micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and
read messages, known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts limited to 140
characters. Feeds are available on current incidents, roadworks and planned
roadworks.

Traffic Customer Care Line - Transport Scotland provides a 24 hour Traffic
Customer Care Line dedicated phone service. The Traffic Customer Care Line
operators have access to the Traffic Scotland Web Site and can provide this
information over the phone to the caller. Through this service users will be
able to access traffic information whilst on the move giving them the power to
plan and manage their journey to greater effect.
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All of these services could be utilised by road users from the Lochgoilhead
and Strachur areas to obtain information on A83 closure events as well as
other routes further afield.
3.1.2.
Further to these services above, Traffic Scotland regularly re-tweet other
relevant travel information. One example of this particularly relevant to this
report is the re-tweeting of information on the Firth of Clyde ferry services.
3.1.3.
To give an indication of how many people are accessing this type of
information, below are some figures obtained for the Numbers of Traffic
Scotland regional reports that have been downloaded.
For the Argyll and Bute area both the Highland and Strathclyde regional
reports have been deemed as relevant to road users in this area:

Traffic Scotland Regional reports downloaded for October 2012;
Region 1.mp3 = Highlands – 1,954
Region 5.mp3 = Strathclyde – 2,852

Traffic Scotland Regional reports downloaded for November 2012;
Region 1.mp3 = Highlands – 1,401
Region 5.mp3 = Strathclyde – 4,383

Traffic Scotland Regional reports downloaded for December 2012;
Region 1.mp3 = Highlands – 4,844
Region 5 mp3 = Strathclyde – 6,628
3.2.
Others
3.2.1.
Other relevant sources of travel information for the area are the Argyll and
Bute Council and Oban times twitter accounts. A&B Council Twitter account
(Followers 3964), and Oban Times (Followers – 2346) regularly Re-tweet
Traffic Scotland info. These are the two Argyll & Bute organisation’s with the
highest amount of twitter followers.
3.2.2.
As well as national radio traffic route announcements the area is served by
two local radio stations (Argyll FM and Dunoon community radio) which both
provide the latest news on traffic, route, ferry service and weather related
matters.
3.2.3.
In relatively small communities such as Lochgoilhead and Strachur news of
events such as road closures is often spread through word of mouth with
neighbours and community bodies letting others know of any issues which
may affect them.
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A83 Rest and Be Thankful Closure Signing
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Conclusion / Options
4.1.
Conclusion
4.1.1.
As detailed above, there are numerous useful and reliable sources of traffic
and route information available which are being used regularly and effectively
by some road users. The majority of this information, however, remains
available only to those who are firstly, aware of its existence and secondly,
have the means and knowledge of how to access it.
There remains a number of the population who may not regularly use the
more modern means of communication such as internet and mobile devices
and who rely more on traditional means of information from newspapers, local
radio and also through word of mouth.
4.1.2.
Providing signs as mentioned in section 2 of this report would provide
information with a high visual impact in an appropriate location and ensure
that more road users are informed of closure events. This allows them to
make informed journey decisions and prevent any wasted travelling time or
cost.
The physical presence of signing in the appropriate locations would virtually
guarantee road users get the information they require whether or not they had
other means of sourcing traffic or route news.
4.2.
Options
Do nothing – Spend nothing on any measures and leave the situation as it is
currently. As
the existing status has already been highlighted as
unsatisfactory, doing nothing to address the issues is not recommended.
Do something – Carry out a leaflet / letter drop throughout the relevant areas
(Lochgoilhead, Strachur, Strathlachlan etc.). Leaflets / letters could be posted
out to locals informing them of the local route issues they may face and the
various options available to them for sourcing traffic and route information for
their area. This could potentially increase awareness of the various sources of
traffic and route info (TS website, Customer care line, twitter etc.) and lead to
more people using the facilities to make informed journey decisions and
prevent wasted journeys.
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Preferred Solution –A phased approach of measures: - Initially, the leaflet /
letter drop could be carried out in the target areas and on completion the
situation could be monitored. Consultation could take place with locals,
councillors, MP’s and community bodies for feedback on whether this exercise
is sufficient or if new signs would also be deemed necessary. Should this be
the case, and if budget were available, the installation of new signs could go
ahead.
In terms of benefits and value for money we would recommend the option
shown in section 2.1.2 - A Text Activated Sign with Variable LED sign face on
the identified stretches north of both Lochgoilhead (B839) and Strachur
(A815).
Installation of these signs together with a targeted leaflet / letter campaign
would cover most eventualities and negate the need for any locals to
undertake wasted journeys north towards the A83 at times of road closure.
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