Road users claim patchwork council repairs on a busy tourist route will not be enough to prevent long term damage to the road.
Repairs on a stretch of Strathtummel Road, near the Strathtummel Inn, were carried out by the council last week.
The route is one of the most frequently used roads for tourists travelling to Tummel Bridge and Kinloch Rannoch, both of which heavy rely on the tourist trade.
Driver Sheila Campbell has been diverted via Aberfeldy or over the Bruar road when travelling regularly to Tummel Bridge.
She claimed that both herself and fellow drivers are sick of constant repairs on the section of road that do not stand the test of time.
Sheila Campbell said: “We were really quite disgusted by the roadworks that they were doing. They did a little stretch, not a massive stretch, and seemed to be just patching it on top of patches.
“Several locals wonder how long it will be before they will be back to patch repair it again, as according to the council man in charge of this road repair, he indicated there was a 50mm resurfacing carried out.
“But locals are wary that due to the heavy use of the road by the forestry log lorries and the tour buses, together with the regular traffic, this will not last and road patch repairs will happen again.
“This section of the road has been patched on patches several times before resulting in the current condition of the road.”
Sheila continued: “I wonder if there would have been a better time in the year to carry out these repairs to cause less of an impact on the small local economy who rely on the busy tourist season.
“Many tourists would not expect the detour route to add such a lengthy time to their journey and many may decide not to visit these small communities due to the lengthy diversion.”
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “The works on the B8019 Strathtummel Road, which began on Monday May 30 and were completed ahead of schedule by early afternoon on Thursday (June 9), comprised patching and then resurfacing of the entire section of carriageway to strengthen the road surface.
“The works required the road to be closed to traffic between 9am and 4pm daily, other than over the weekend of 4/5 June. Ancillary works to clean road gullies and replace damaged BT manhole frames and covers were also carried out during the road closure.
“Local residents and businesses were notified well in advance of the works, which were programmed to avoid the busy Easter and summer holiday periods.”
