Two week closure of the A78 in Largs begins
The road will shut at 9.30am on Tuesday 13th April 2021.
The A78 is closing in Largs for up to two weeks, despite concerns raised by locals.
It will shut at Routenburn Road at 9.30am on Tuesday 13th April 2021 to allow for emergency sewer repairs.
Scottish Water has been on site since March 30th to fix it. They say a solution has now been found, but a full road closure is necessary.
A significant diversion will force drivers north via the A78 to Inverkip, A8 Greenock to Port Glasgow, A761 via Kilmacolm and Bridge of Weir to Johnstone, A737 to Beith, B777 and B780 to Kilbirnie, A760 to Largs, and a reverse route south.
It has been met with backlash from people who use the road to commute, get to school and for care workers to reach their patients.
Councillor Tom Marshall told West FM, "They should have at least, as the Council would have done, given far more time for consultation to allow people to organise their lives knowing the road was going to shut.
"It does have a huge impact on the town. Unfortunately they (Scottish Water) has behaved like a dictatorship, unlike we as elected members who would always consult before we do anything.
"We asked for this to be delayed for a number of days while a better solution is found. They refused to do so. So now the road will shut and cause immense problems for my constituents."
Scottish Water has apologised for the inconvenience it will cause, but says it's necessary.
A statement on their website says, " To ensure the stability of the pipe and minimise the risk of future bursts, a solution has now been designed and we will be going ahead with the complex repair.
"We understand this will cause great delays and we would urge road users to leave plenty of extra time for their journey. We can only apologise to road users for the inconvenience which has been caused."
Three tankers will also operate in rotation between Buchanan Street Pumping Station to Largs Waste Water Treatment Works from 8am to 10pm.
Scottish Water insists water supply and drainage services from kitchens and bathrooms should not be affected but people may notice some noise from construction equipment.