Transport Scotland: information regarding damaged stone bridge parapet on A87 Portree to Sligachan: EIR release

Information requested

This is a Freedom of Information request regarding the damaged stone bridge parapet situated on the A87 Portree to Sligachan road, approximately half a mile south of Portree cemetery.

Q1. When was this bridge parapet damaged?
Q.2 What work has been done on this bridge parapet since?
Q3. How long were traffic lights in place at this location?
Q4. Were these traffic lights the property of Transport Scotland?
Q5. If not the property of Transport Scotland, whose traffic lights were they, and how much did Transport Scotland pay for the hire/ use of these traffic lights?
Q6. When were these traffic lights removed?
Q7. Why were these traffic lights removed?
Q8. Has a risk assessment been done into the dangers of having no traffic lights in place i.e. the situation currently?
Q9. Why is this location down to one lane?
Q10. Why can all the signage etc not be removed and the road opened fully?
Q11. When will this bridge parapet be fixed? Is there a plan/ timescale for completion?

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. When was this bridge parapet damaged?
A1. There was some damage to the bridge parapet reported on 21 October 2024. This was subsequently superseded by more significant damage, which occurred as a result of a road traffic collision on 02 June 2025. Permanent repairs were completed on 03 April 2026.

Q.2 What work has been done on this bridge parapet since?
A2. The minor damage was made safe on 21 October 2024, with cones and lanterns to warn drivers of the hazard. Permanent repairs were added to a future programme of works. This was superseded by the significant damage, which occurred as a result of a road traffic collision on 02 June 2025. Permanent repairs were completed on 03 April 2026.

Q3. How long were traffic lights in place at this location?
A3. A temporary lane closure was implemented using temporary traffic lights (TTLs) from 02 June 2025 to 10 December 2025. Following a review, the TTLs were removed and replaced with a priority signing system on 10 December 2025. TTLs were implemented, again, from 30 March 2026 to 03 April 2026 to enable the repair works to be undertaken safely.

Q4. Were these traffic lights the property of Transport Scotland?
A4. No

Q5. If not the property of Transport Scotland, whose traffic lights were they, and how much did Transport Scotland pay for the hire/ use of these traffic lights?
A5. The traffic lights were the property of Bear Scotland Ltd. Transport Scotland did not pay for the hire of the TTLs. As this was a damage to crown property incident, all repair costs, including associated traffic management have been borne by the culprit.

Q6. When were these traffic lights removed?
A6. A temporary lane closure was implemented using temporary traffic lights (TTLs) from 02 June 2025 to 10 December 2025. Following a review, the TTLs were removed and replaced with a priority signing system on 10 December 2025. TTLs were implemented, again, from 30 March 2026 to 03 April 2026 to enable the repair works to be undertaken safely.

Q7. Why were these traffic lights removed?
A7. The temporary traffic signals were removed and replaced with a priority signing system in order to reduce traffic delays.

Q8. Has a risk assessment been done into the dangers of having no traffic lights in place i.e. the situation currently?
A8. Consideration was given to implementing a priority signing system when the incident occurred on 02 June 2025, to avoid the need for traffic lights. However, this was not possible due to higher traffic volumes during the busier summer tourist period. Later in the year, when traffic volumes were lower, we reviewed the possibility of replacing the temporary traffic signals with a priority signing system in order to reduce traffic delays. This was implemented on 10 December 2025.

Q9. Why is this location down to one lane?
A9. It was down to one lane to create a safe distance between the damaged parapet and passing motorists, and also to enable the repair works to be undertaken safely.

Q10. Why can all the signage etc not be removed and the road opened fully?
A10. All signage was removed and the road was fully reopened on 03 April 2026.

Q11. When will this bridge parapet be fixed? Is there a plan/ timescale for completion?
A11. Repair works were undertaken from 30 March 2026 to 03 April 2026, with all works now complete.

About FOI

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