One lane of A85 re-opened after 100-tonne landslide left road impassable

One lane of a vital Scottish A-road which became impassable after a landslide has been reopened.

More than 100 tonnes of debris fell onto a rail line on Monday, with further debris and boulders having slipped onto A85 near Falls of Cruachan, leaving drivers with a 84-mile diversion and shutting the West Highland Railway line.

On Tuesday evening, engineers from Bear Scotland said one lane of the Argyll and Bute road, which skirts the north banks of Loch Awe, had been reopened under traffic light control.

But, despite drivers being able to navigate the route once again, trains are still unable to pass.

Bear Scotland, which maintains trunk roads in the north-west of Scotland, said it continued to assist Network Rail to help re-establish the link, and that it was continuing to work towards re-opening both lanes of the A85.

Engineers were on site earlier on Tuesday morning carrying out an initial assessment and found that the landslip occurred on Ben Cruachan’s lower slopes, 80-100 metres (262ft to 328ft) above the railway.

Boulders, trees and waterlogged soil tumbled down the mountain, covering the track, and reaching the road 30 metres (98ft) below.

Earlier on Tuesday, inspections from a helicopter were also being carried out, and Network Rail began to move machinery into position to begin to clear the tracks.