Work on the A82 trunk road which runs through the West Highlands from Glasgow to Inverness is progressing well, First Minister Alex Salmond said on Friday in Fort William before a Scottish Government Cabinet meeting, the first of four to be held outside Edinburgh over the summer months.

Mr Salmond said: "When I last visited Fort William as part of my election campaign in April, I promised that the Scottish Government would make essential improvements to key sections of the A82. We are delivering on that commitment.

"In the last few weeks, we announced substantial funding to allow detailed environmental and engineering survey works on the Loch Lomondside stretch of the A82 between Tarbet and Fort William to get under way.

"This vital work - worth half a million pounds - takes the first steps in designing an upgrade on the route that balances the needs of travellers with the environmental and engineering challenges of this spectacular area of Scotland.

"This will help meet our wider strategy to improve the quality and safety of the journeys on this vital economic artery."

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The FM also provided an update on two current capital schemes for the route worth £16.5 million.

"Since the announcement on the surveys last month, we have now resolved the statutory objection to the Crianlarich bypass and continue to work with objectors to the proposals for removal of the traffic lights at Pulpit Rock.

"Statutory processes are there to ensure the right scheme is developed, balancing the needs of businesses and communities with the rights of individuals, and subject to completing these and the necessary funding being allocated, we will start these projects in this parliament as I promised when I met campaigners in Fort William in April."

The Scottish Government has spent over £3 million during 2010-11 on a number of enhancement schemes on the A82 including road widening, bridge replacement (Ba Bridge at Rannoch Moor, and Stuckindroin Bridge north of Loch Lomondside) and lay-bys strengthening schemes.

In addition, over £600,000 was spent on a Route Accident Reduction Plan (RARP) over three phases from Inverness to Tyndrum and £400,000 on vehicle restraint improvements with new safety barrier provision at 14 high risk locations identified from the Verge Side Protection Report.

The Crianlarich bypass will see an approximately 1km single 2-lane carriageway built from the south of Crianlarich to the north of the village. Draft Orders were published on September 24, 2009.

The Pulpit Rock scheme consists of a new section removing the traffic lights currently in place and re-introduce two-way flow. The scheme will require an estimated maximum 14 week full road closure. Draft road orders were published on September 23, 2010 with the Compulsory Purchase Orders following on November 25, 2010.

An A82 Safety Group has been established by Transport Scotland including representatives from Scotland TranServ, Highland Council, Argyll & Bute Council, Stirling Council, Strathclyde Police, Central Scotland Police and Northern Constabulary.

(GK)