Transport Scotland - Defect information for the A82 at Spean Bridge: EIR release
Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
Information requested
1. Copies of all inspection records, defect logs, and safety inspection reports for the A82 Trunk Road entering Spean Bridge (northbound) for the period 1 January 2026 to 19 January 2026 inclusive.
2. Details of any defects recorded at that location during this period, including categorisation (e.g. Category 1 or otherwise).
3. Copies of all instructions, work orders, authorisations, or communications issued to BEAR Scotland relating to carriageway repairs at this location on or about 3 February 2026.
4. Any records identifying the nature of the repairs undertaken and the reason they were instructed.
Response
As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.
This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.
Q1. You requested copies of all inspection records, defect logs, and safety inspection reports for the A82 Trunk Road entering Spean Bridge (northbound) for the period 1 January 2026 to 19 January 2026 inclusive.
A1. Please see Annex A to this response for details of inspections completed at this location during the period 1 January 2026 to 19 January 2026 inclusive.
Q2. You requested details of any defects recorded at that location during this period, including categorisation (e.g. Category 1 or otherwise).
A2. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs.
Transport Scotland does not hold the information requested because no Category 1 Defects that were a safety hazard or an immediate danger were observed or recorded during the Safety Inspections between 2 and 19 January 2026.
This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about defects recorded at that location above during the requested period, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.
Q3. You requested copies of all instructions, work orders, authorisations, or communications issued to BEAR Scotland relating to carriageway repairs at this location on or about 3 February 2026.
A3. Transport Scotland's Operating Company, BEAR Scotland, advise that 2 Category 1 Defects were observed and temporarily repaired to make the defects safe on 26 January and permanently repaired on 4 February 2026 within the Contracted 28 days.
Q4. You requested any records identifying the nature of the repairs undertaken and the reason they were instructed.
A4. During the routine safety inspection carried out on 26 January the inspectors identified 2 defects, , that had deteriorated to become an imminent hazard to road users and were raised as Category 1 Defects. For the requirements of the Scottish Trunk Road Network Management Contract (NMC) immediate temporary repairs were carried on 26 January to remove the hazard. Design Packs with location and details of the repair to be carried out were then issued to the Area Operational Team to carry out the works. The NMC then requires the permanent repair to be carried out within 28 days which was met.
Please see Annex B to this response for further details.
An exception under regulation 11(2) of the EIRs (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exception is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG