A £1.83million overhaul of Vittlefields Cross on the outskirts of Newport is being proposed in a bid to tackle what has been identified as the top accident cluster site on the Isle of Wight.
The major junction remodelling scheme has emerged in the Isle of Wight Council’s proposed Local Transport Delivery Plan 2026/27-2029/30, which sets out a programme of transport investment across the Island over the coming years.
Vittlefields Cross in Newport is the junction on Forest Road connecting Forest Road to Yarmouth Road, Whitehouse Road and Betty Haunt Lane. It has been singled out as one of the key road safety projects, with the Council’s detailed delivery programme describing it as a ‘junction remodelling scheme to address the no* 1 accident cluster site on the Island’.
As previously reported by Island Echo in 2019, a woman in her 60’s died and 19 people were injured following a crash involving a double-decker bus and 2 cars at the location of the dangerous crossing.
At the time, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust confirmed that 4 people had been airlifted to mainland hospitals, including Southampton and Brighton.
Following this, the Isle of Wight Council proposed to buy the land in January 2021 after the Isle of Wight coroner said it did not do enough to prevent future deaths, nor significantly improve safety.
In 2023, skid-resistant surfacing was installed, and further work on the new land was set to be completed subject to the purchase process.
The Council previously considered installing traffic lights at the crossroads, after a 7,000-strong petition, but ruled that out, saying it could increase the risk of rear-end shunts.
An Island Roads report said a roundabout would be the best option, bringing what it said would be a 50% drop in accidents at Vittlefields and ‘significantly’ less chance of fatal or serious injury accidents.
Fast-forwarding to 2026, the £1.83 million scheme remains a proposal at this stage and no work has commenced.
The Local Transport Delivery Plan is due to be discussed by members of the Economy, Regeneration, Transport and Infrastructure Committee when they meet at County Hall in Newport on 3rd September.
Councillors are being asked to approve the contents of the 4-year delivery plan and support the continued development and delivery of the projects, programmes and policy initiatives identified within it.
The need for changes at Vittlefields Cross was highlighted and recommended within an annual Network Safety Improvement Report produced by Island Roads, the Isle of Wight’s Highways PFI Service Provider.
The proposed scheme has a total estimated capital cost of £ 1.83 million, with no revenue expenditure listed specifically against the project; the delivery plan allocates monies to be taken from the Integrated Transport Fund.
The wider transport programme is primarily being funded through Government transport funding allocations and related external funding streams. The committee is not being asked to approve additional Isle of Wight Council funding through the Local Transport Delivery Plan report itself.
Although Vittlefields Cross is listed among schemes for 2026/27, the detailed timetable shows that the project is expected to take significantly longer to reach completion.
Development is listed as starting in April 2026 and continuing until April 2027.
Physical delivery is then currently scheduled to start in June 2027, with completion earmarked for March 2029.
As of today (Wednesday), no physical work has commenced at Vittlefields Cross.
Despite the £ 1.83 million price tag and the junction’s identification as the Island’s number 1 accident cluster, exactly what motorists can expect to see at Vittlefields Cross has not yet been revealed in the documents.
The papers describe the project only as ‘junction remodelling’ and do not specify the eventual road layout, nor do they refer to whether the proposals could involve a roundabout, traffic signals or another form of junction redesign.
The proposed scheme forms part of a much wider package of road safety and transport investment being considered by the Council.
A £750,000 remodelling and accessibility scheme for the Fairway/Lake Hill junction is also listed, while future projects include improvements at Westridge Junction and Downend.
Other areas earmarked for investment include highway drainage, speed limit changes, pedestrian crossings, footways, active travel, accessibility, public rights of way, bus services and electric vehicle infrastructure.
It must be noted that even if councillors approve the overall Local Transport Delivery Plan next week, that should not be taken as blanket final approval for every aspect of the Vittlefields Cross scheme.
The Council makes clear that individual projects will still have to pass through the appropriate approval processes where further decisions, consents, consultation or specific budget approvals are required.
Waste of money this junction has always been there with few problems years ago, drivers are so inpatient they just cannot wait, people driving now seem to be so angry @ everyone, this is our world now, money should be spent on Forest road that is subsiding, this is more dangerous for drivers as it pulls your cars into the verge, so dangerous for bigger vehicle, surely this should be the priority our roads are breaking all over the island.
Great – the idea of another roundabout that many Islanders don’t know how to use…Traffic lights would be better, give enough signage to show lights ahead and change of layout should decrease so called shunts. But what option is used won’t decrease the poor driving by many that cause the accidents in the first place…