 Poster: A snowHead
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Plans to close a major road into the Highlands would spell disaster for one of Scotland’s top winter tourist attractions, its owner warned yesterday. Transport Scotland is expected to begin work in January 2012 to remove the notorious bottleneck at Pulpit Rock on the road alongside Loch Lomond. ...The A82 upgrade is desperately needed, but the plan to schedule the works for Jan-April 2012 is sure to impact skier numbers. I'm not sure what the answer is, as the road is busy all year round 
See: http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2010/11/06/highland-road-closure-will-put-winter-resorts-at-risk
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Elizabeth B, I think the answer is to not do the work. I'm not sure why they need to take the traffic lights away 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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sounds a great idea... means the A82 north of Crianlarich will be a lot quieter for us travelling from the east 
on a serious note, if the work needs done to benefit the route in the long term then go ahead and do it. Early risers heading to the hills leaving from the Glasgow side of the country at early o'clock won't create hardly any tail backs there. It's more from 9 o'clock onwards in peak season that it's a problem.
Can't see this affecting skier numbers at all.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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shoogly, I don't think it's a case of tailbacks - the road will be shut, therefore creating a long diversion. Depending on which side of Glasgow, I suspect it would be quicker going via Stirling than Rest and be Thankful. But as you say, I guess in the long run it will improve the journey.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
| I guess in the long run it will improve the journey. |
I disagree. The improvement will be barely noticeable as the average queue is all of 2 minutes now. There are routinely far longer tailbacks heading south towards Balloch and north through Dumbarton, caused by roundabouts and lights that just don't need to be there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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moffatross, well said.
Elizabeth B, I'm not sure. I hate driving the road from Stirling-->Crianlarach.
The diversion will change my closest skiing from being an hour door to door to two hours
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I have never been stopped by the lomond lights for more than a few mins but I don't think the local gov had any choice but to do it.
The new rules for bigger truck sizes come in soon and this is the only reason they have now (after 45 years) decided to sort it out. The lights were only ever meant to be a temp thing - but they are still there all these years later.
The new truck sizes is also the reason they rebuilt the 2 bridges at the top and bottom of glencoe itself - to take the larger trucks.
Mind you before they started work I didn't even realise the road at the top of of coe next to the Stack was a bridge ??
Also, you'll have noticed the new bridge just north of Onich and 3 miles south of FW is "almost" (they have been building it for 2 years now - on the cheap) ready. There are, so I'm told another 3 bridges that need replacing south of FW.
Plus there's a (technicla term) Shed-Load of bridges that need doing between FW and spean bridge.
Seems we're in for a few years of digging from now on
Elizabeth B, The diversion from tarbet to rejoin the 82 at the green whelly stop will be pig of a trip in the winter - better off just doing the coast route to ballachulish then drive back south for a bit if you want to go up coe
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Sod's law almost guarantees that there will be a massive slide on the Rest and Be Thankful just after the A82 closure becomes irreversible until the works are completed.
There is a forestry road that could bypass the most prone section of that road and it was supposed to have been getting improved with proper passing places added so it could allow through traffic to continue over the Rest and Be Thankful in the event of massive damage to the trunk road. However no one would agree on who paid for the work, so did it ever happen?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Coming from the west end of glasgow, my options are.
Glasgow, Drymen, thornhill, callendar, Crianlarich then Glencoe...... or
Glasgow, stirling, crianlarich, glencoe. adds 30 mins onto the journey time if the cumbernauld road works are finished it may only make a 20 minute difference.
Or Glasgow-> Invararry, Dalmally, Crianlarich ...... 3 hours
I'll make a point of going.
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Just remember when driving the loch lomondside road was a life changing (or ending) experience. When I was wee, they were pulling drowned cars out of the loch on a weekly basis.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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mcspreader, No worries for me. Grew up in Balloch and played football for the Luss and Arden team. I also taxied from balloch to Tarbet and Crianlarich for six years. I know the road like he back of my hand.
Rule number 1 only go fast when you are in the middle of the road. The road near the rocks freezes easily.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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The proposed diversion is a disaster for Glencoe, Nevis and other businesses on route. Reading the comments I don't think people realise the road will be completely closed with diversion from Tarbet. The diversion will add a long time and mileage to the journey. If Glenshee is skiable, that's where most from Glasgow will go.
The proper time to do this work is from October which is the quiet period and before winter proper sets in.
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| handyman wrote: |
| The proper time to do this work is from October which is the quiet period and before winter proper sets in. |
No it's not.
I take more people to NW Scotland during Sept & Oct than use Glencoe ski slopes for the whole of the season - I also pay the wages of more people in that area than Glencoe ski slopes (and for more of the year).
I NEED the road open for my coaches.
Yeah I know it's selfish but hey....do the work during the winter I say.
The NW of Scotland NEEDS the money non-skiing tourists bring in, more than they need the relatively small amount the slopes bring in. Ok, in some areas of Scotland this is not the case but in the NW it is.
Whilst a photo of a group of old ladies on a coach may not look as good in a tourist advert as some dude on a snowboard, try asking Nevis Range’s accountant which they get rid of if they had to choose one.
I fully appreciate that in this, skiers, forum it may not sit too well, but the numbers simply don’t stack up for NW Scotland’s tourist industry, if it was solely reliant on the winter months and a few skiers. If you want to infrastructure in place when you arrive for your odd day out on the slopes, then you’re going to have to accept that the ski slopes play second fiddle to the major sources of income.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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First sign of madness is talking to yourself!!! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Wayne, fixed for ya!  but PM me if it's not quite how you wanted it edited.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wayne, during early autumn it is less likely that the diversionary route itself could be made unavailable by weather related incidents. The Rest and Be Thankful isn't really a road to be diverting the sole major route to the NW Highlands over in winter.
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