Island Roads has blamed utility companies for scheduling resurfacing works in Bembridge just as the tourism season begins, but insists that access will be opened up over the Easter Bank Holiday period. Last week Island Echo reported that residents and businesses had expressed their disgust that Island Roads will be closing Kings Road – the main road from St Helens to Bembridge – for a period of 3 weeks. The situation has been dubbed as a ‘disaster for the High Street’. In response to the news, a poster was sellotaped to a telegraph pole on the High Street detailing the disgruntlement of locals. As it stands, the arterial route will be closed from next Monday (18th March) until Tuesday 9th April, with work taking place during weekday daytime only. It has been confirmed today (Monday) that the closure will now be lifted on Good Friday (29th March) with the road remaining open until the morning of Tuesday 2nd April. A spokesperson for Island Roads has said:
“The essential work at Kings Road is required to bring the quality of what is a busy road up to the required standard. “Planning such work is never easy and whatever time we choose there will, inevitably and unfortunately, be an element of disruption. In this particular case, we have had to work around other planned activity by utility companies on the diversion route. This has left us a narrow window in which to complete the works to avoid the summer season. “Full road closures are required as this work will likely include the strengthening of the road’s foundations and this means deep excavations are likely. While this type of work should reduce the need for future maintenance, it is not safe to open the road in between shifts. “The road will be fully open over the whole Bank Holiday weekend from Friday 29/03/2024 – Monday 01/04/2024 inclusive. We will, of course, seek to complete the work ahead of schedule if at all possible”.
Why are Island roads curtailing to the dross from Bembridge
Just as I told you all 3 days ago Bembridge would get ‘their way’:
“But knowing the right people will mean that they will likely get a reprieve and the noise, disruption and frustrations will be inflicted upon other ‘plebs’ towns, and Bembridge work will be postponed until the more important people are away from months on their Summer hols floating around the Med or Caribbean .”
Now am I physic OR do I know these people very very well and who ‘they’ know all in the odd handshaking don’t you know?
How deep are the excavations? six inches or six feet?
If the former exactly why is it “not safe” to open the road between shifts?
Are you sure it’s not just inconvenient because you’ve have to tidy up a bit at the end of the day?
The exact same wording was used to justify the Lake Hill closure and it sounded just as fake and contrived then as it does here.
If they were forced to compensate road users and businesses for the inconvenience I bet they’d magically discover a way to keep the road open for at least some of the time and jobs would be completed a lot quicker.
We can but dream…
People moan about potholes etc, but moan when the road gets sorted. Island Roads are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
So, Bembridge gets its road reopened?
That’s nice.
I would have thought that more people are being affected on a daily basis by the traffic lights still being out at the Hare and Hounds. And the Morton Road into Sandown. And the mess of roadworks around Ryde. And the plethora of other roads closed and diversions and temporary lights.
But, so long as Bembridge gets its road opened…
Does anybody remember the old days when road surfacing work was done one side at a time so the road could be kept open? Even better when they used to do resurfacing at night. Proper workmen would work their nuts off all night long and get the job done. They could actually lift a shovel and all of the necessary equipment to do the job. Not like the idle out of shape wimps we have these days. This country has gone soft.
People of Bembridge you really are a joke!!!! Moan about the state of the roads then moan about them doing them!!! All the second home owners will still come from London and spend money in the overpriced shops and food outlets, I personally will not be coming to spend my money in your town as your all a stuck up bunch of NIMBY’s!! And to bring up Covid? If the village and shop owners are still blaming the china flu four years in you deserve to fail!!!