Major traffic disruption will be coming to a main route out of Ryde later this month as Island Roads will work to repair and strengthen a section of wall on Queen’s Road.
The work along a 40-metre section of the retaining wall will mean Queen’s Road will need to be made one-way (heading into the town) for up to 10-weeks during the busiest time of the year, the Summer holidays. Traffic leaving Ryde will have to do so via Argyll Street for the duration of the project.
Urgent work is needed following the collapse of a section of the wall that retains the highway. Without repair and strengthening, there is a danger the footway and eventually the carriageway would be undermined.
Island Roads Senior Project Manager, Jason Boulter, has said:
“Given the condition of the wall, which will only get worse, it is important to undertake the repairs and strengthening as soon as possible,
“The work will involve us rebuilding and strengthening the wall below highway level and then rebuilding the visible parapet wall above street level using traditional stone so it maintains the local character.
“We understand this will cause some inconvenience to local people but we do need to undertake his work to ensure Queen’s Road continues to be safe for all users”
Residents will still be able to access their homes with pedestrian access maintained at all times. The section of wall to be strengthened is on Queen’s Road between its junctions with Binstead Road and Westwood Road.
Work is currently scheduled to start on 25th July – at the start of the Summer holidays – and affected residents will receive letters explaining more about the scheme in due course.
Councillor Phil Jordan, Isle of Wight Council cabinet member for highways and infrastructure, said:
“I am acutely aware of the disruption caused by roadworks but I am confident that Island Roads will manage traffic flows as best as they can within the vicinity of the works. This is a case of urgent works needed to protect the safety of highways users, both road and footways.
“Please bear with us whilst the necessary works are undertaken and completed.”
so, over the preceding years the homeowners have not had any responsibility for the wall and ignored it, the council have probably refused to accept any responsibility for the wall and ignored it..right up until it becomes a danger and voila! suddenly the council are responsible and we, the taxpayer are now footing the bill for something that could be have been avoided with careful maintenance over the years.
typical Councillors.
All that is needed is gabion wall cages filled with rocks placed in front on the pavement, THEN remove the existing wall, and push the gabion cages in the place of the old wall.
Cheap, safe, and quick to achieve.
So, the other, slow, disruptive, costly alternative will be chosen at the worst time of year.
Seems the council are trying to put off holiday makers so they can turn every hotel, guest house into flats and house for more council tax to top up pensions and pay imo
Then people can poke their rubbish into the gaps and within a couple of months you will have a wall with glass bottles and crisp packets poked in it.
If you don’t use island roads it will be done to a high standard in a few weeks.
And for how long has it been known that there is a problem here and now they decide to do something about it. Typical of out totally useless council and their, not mine, roads contractor. I suppose that is timed now so that the maximum number of people can witness the usual three irregular appearance for a couple of hours a day with one hands in pocket, one on the phone and the other ‘looking into it’.
How about Messrs Boulter and Jordan also making regular visits to up date us on the standard non-progress? Not a hope .
Well done all concerned, yet another home goal.
So, let me see…
The lack of structural integrity of this wall has been known about for some (considerable) time (the condition of the retaining supports betrays this), and yet, good old Island Roads FINALLY decide to remedial action bang at the start of the main holiday period. Just WHO has the brain cell this week?
They save the cushey jobs for the summer.
There has been road repair ‘furniture’ at this site for months. Clearly the extent of the required work was known then. So why does it have to be done now?! It could have been done in the spring with less impact. Another pigs ear by Island Roads
You are right been like that for months and months can’t understand where it wasn’t done in the spring, mindless
Has anybody in the council got a Braincell? Obviously not!
What a lot of rubbish, This wall has been like this for the last 4 months. Why leave it until the summer months. Phil Jordan seems like another councillor named Fox, who hadn’t a clue how to run their remit.. time to move on councillor and hand over to someone with a bit of foresight. We have enough white elephants on the island….cowes floating bridge etc.
No doubt the half of the road to be closed will just be a vehicle park , not part of the actual work.