A830 Road to the Isles
Upgrade of one of Britain’s last remaining single track trunk roads
Grontmij has played an instrumental role in completing the upgrade of one of Britain’s last remaining single track trunk roads, the A830 or ‘Road to the Isles’, to single carriageway standard. Grontmij acted as designers for Morrison Construction on the project, which comprised the final stage of the full upgrade of the Fort William to Mallaig route; a programme that has taken over 30 years to complete.
Improving safety and journey times
During the opening ceremony in April 2009, the project was praised for the way in which it integrated into the surrounding landscape. The new carriageway will benefit local community, visitors and businesses by improving journey times, promoting safety and providing better links with Mallaig’s ferry connections to Skye. It will also improve the routes to market for the local fishing industry.
Environmental considerations
Special consideration had to be given to environmental factors during the design and construction phases. As the road passes through Glen Beasdale Special Area of Conservation, noted for its ancient oakwood, its otters and its fresh water mussels, significant effort was made to retain the existing character of the area. Furthermore, a new habitat is currently being developed to maintain and improve oak woodland.