Belgrave Road in Ventnor is set to remain closed throughout the busy Summer season in what will be seen as another blow for the seaside town, with the road unlikely to re-open until the Autumn at the earliest.
Work to remove tonnes of fallen rock from the highway is to begin this week, but the complex and specialist nature of the project means residents and visitors face at least 3 more months of closure.
On Wednesday and Thursday, technical experts and a rope access team will be on site to fully assess the damage to Belgrave Road and the risk of further rock falls. As part of this, vegetation and loose debris will be removed from the rockface to prevent further hazards.
Island Roads says developing a safe method to remove the fallen debris is not straightforward due to the size and weight of the rocks, the confined nature of the site, and the risk of rocks cascading down the steep slopes, potentially damaging property below.
A containment structure will likely need to be erected to protect both the public and the workforce. All options for clearing the site are being considered, including ‘chemical demolition’ – a technique successfully used during the rebuilding of Belgrave Road after the major collapse in 2020.
A precise timescale remains unclear as further assessments are needed and some specialist work must go out to tender to ensure best value for the Isle of Wight Council.
Island Roads says it has acted swiftly on receipt of instructions to begin work and shares the Council’s determination to re-open the road as soon as possible. However, based on current information, it is unlikely that Belgrave Road will re-open until the autumn.
Pedestrian access may be allowed before full re-opening if it is safe to do so, and extra signage will be installed to help visitors navigate the town during the ongoing closure – including during the busy Ventnor Fringe festival.
Oh well such a shame not, well at least it will give the god awful town cryer something to shout his big gob off about. And it will be factual and correct.
Just get a mainland company over, job done.
Well there’s a suprise . English workmen and culture for you .
Nothing left to say really didn’t expect anything less
The IOW council should get rid of Island roads company, they’re beyond belief, lazy good for nothing. A few rocks and they can’t even move that.
Well I suppose any company that takes nearly 3 weeks to patch a little bit of scorched road surface in Lake aint worth the time of day, they’re just taking the mickey.
I lived in Gran Canaria when a similar rock fall blocked the only route to the nearby town. It was cleared within 2 weeks…..why oh why does this have to take so long. It is so despairing that it appears incapable to get the equipment and personnel to get this fixed.
Really??? REALLY??? Just move the rocks and get on with life. It defies belief!
Grind the rock up and use for pot hole filling material . There should be enough help with the road at Binstead Golf course, on the other hand the paint markings for the road works will be faded by then or crumbled away