The Green Apple awards, held on the 17 November by the Green Organisation, are the annual international campaign to recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world.

The winning project

The A830 has been systematically improved over many years, with this challenging stretch between Arisaig and Loch nan Uamh the last section to be upgraded from a single track with passing places to a two lane carriageway.

Caring for the environment

Environmental considerations played a significant part in the route selection process with 40% of the road having to pass through the Glen Beasdale Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designated for its ancient oakwood and its population of otters and fresh water mussels. The route through the SAC was therefore restricted to an online improvement in order to minimise loss of oakwood, and significant efforts were made in the design and construction to retain the character of this section.

In addition to the SAC considerations, there were other difficulties present with undulating terrain and poor ground conditions. Extensive work had to be undertaken to soften the appearance of the resulting deep rock cuts and to prepare them for natural re-vegetation over the coming years.

Self sufficient

The scheme was self-sufficient in terms of soil materials used to build the road. Out of the 416,000m3 of rock which was blasted from the construction works, 370,000m3 was re-used on site as general fill material and 46,000m3 was processed for various special fills, resulting in no wastage. 13,000m3 of stripped topsoil was re-used on site, and out of the 100,000m3 of excavated peat, 40% was re-used on site. The remaining 60% was used for land improvement of six areas adjoining the scheme, to allow the plantation of commercial woodlands on land previously unsuitable to use for this purpose.

Helping local communities

The local communities of Arisaig, Morar and Mallaig have also benefited from reduced travelling times. In addition, the number of accidents saved as a result of this upgrade is predicted to be 55 per year.

Alasdair Fowler, operations director, added, “Designing the road at Arisaig was an exciting and challenging project. Arisaig is an area of natural beauty and conservation, so it was imperative that we took this into account in the design of the road. I am very pleased that the project has won a Green Apple award as I think it is an excellent example of working with the community and the natural environment to create a solution that is beneficial to all.”