String road closure.

String Road Closure - A Mixed Blessing

The opinions about the necessety for the repair works on the String Road are undivided in favour of them. And I'm sure everyone who has tried to dodge the potholes between Shiskine and Brodick will agree that roadworks are badly needed. Having used the bus service from Blackwaterfoot to Brodick quite a few times, I have to admit that my teeth and my backbones are literally begging for a smoother surface on the String. The journey feels like a mixture of zero gravity training and bobsleigh run gone crazy...

A total closure of the road for two months on the contrary is met with mixed feelings. Regular bus users, particularly those who do not own cars are used to ten busses on weekdays going from Blackwaterfoot to Brodick and back.They will have to adapt to fewer connections around the Southend.

People living between Dougarie and Sliddery who have to journey to the East coast of Arran will have to live with higher petrol costs if they have to rely on their cars and car sharing is not an option. The additional time factor might ask for organisational skills.

Angus Cameron from Blackwaterfoot Garage has one of those businesses which will have to put big effort into organising themselves and working tight schedules to make sure that e.g. the MOT service of cars will carry on as smooth as usual. Many of the cars to be serviced and ordered spare parts will need more time for their way to Blackwaterfoot and back.

On the other hand Christine Cameron, Angus' wife expects that she might see more business since much more traffic will go through Blackwaterfoot. Her supplies will not experience any change since the delivery routes of most companies follow anyway the coastal road where most businesses are.

So far we have heard of one cancellation due to the road closure which concerns a young couple who will be wed in Blackwaterfoot and had booked their first two honeymoon nights at the Kilmichael. And a lady who lives near Machrie will not be able to continue a course at the Learning Centre in Lamlash because of the so much longer journey. How many people
from the Blackwaterfoot area will not sign up for the Mai/June courses for the same reason is of course not predictable.

To avoid frustration for the holiday makers, announcements of the road diversions will be made on all ferry sailings.

Still, quite a few inhabitants along the Southend roads are concerned about the road safety as the holiday season brings more car, bike and cycle traffic to the island which will now squeeze through the bendy and narrow roads, many of which are not in good condition either.

Considering the long light days at this time of the year, some people raised the question whether it would not be possible to work much longer hours (6am - 9pm was suggested quite a few times) on the String Road to get the work done in less weeks. We will follow this question up before next week's Voice.

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