A835 Check Rail Corner by Loch Garve Repair Update
Garve and District Community Council
Added at 02:58 on 19 December 2025
More than two years after the A835 was reduced to one lane at Check Rail Corner, the community has now been told to expect further delays.
An email received from Lauren McMinn at BEAR Scotland confirms that, despite earlier advice, full construction will not begin until April, with completion now pushed back to November 2026.
According to the information shared in the email, preparatory works to replace the damaged retaining wall at Loch Garve, around one mile south of Garve, are due to start from Monday 26 January 2026. This marks the first on-site activity since the retaining wall was struck by a vehicle more than two years ago.
Since that incident, residents and road users have endured prolonged disruption, repeated failures of temporary traffic lights and a number of near-miss collisions at the site. The wall requires replacement to safeguard both the trunk road and the adjacent railway line, yet the single-lane restriction and temporary signals remain in place.
BEAR Scotland states that delays are due to the complexity of designing a permanent solution within the constraints of a narrow road, steep surrounding slopes, underground utility services and the need to keep both road and rail routes open.
The email advises that January works will be limited to vegetation clearance, excavation and the diversion of Openreach services. Main construction will now begin in April, involving a 108-metre concrete beam structure beneath the road, anchored into the rock below and topped with a new steel safety barrier. The project is expected to conclude around November 2026, with two-way temporary traffic lights remaining in place throughout.
Emergency services and scheduled bus services will continue to have access during the works.
Euan Scott, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said:
"These retaining wall replacement works on the A835 at Loch Garve will restore structural stability ensuring the long term safety and integrity of the adjacent trunk road and railway line.
Designing a new wall solution has been a complex process. Our teams have had to account for keeping the road and railway open, working around existing utility cables, and managing the steep slopes above and below the A835, all of which make construction particularly challenging. We’re working in conjunction with Network Rail and Openreach with safety as our top priority. We thank the local community and road users for their ongoing patience while we complete the improvements.”
From the community’s perspective, this represents another significant shift from previously advised timescales which have changed several times. Residents were last told works would begin in January 2026 and be completed by May. The latest update confirms that only preparatory activity will start in January, with meaningful construction delayed until April and disruption extending into late autumn. The Community Council has still not been informed whether contracts have been signed or who the appointed contractor is, and will continue to press for clarity and accountability.
