Excavation works to both the northbound and southbound carriageways on Horsebridge Hill have now been completed, marking a key milestone in the ongoing road improvement project between Newport and Cowes.
The project, which began on 12th May, continues to progress on schedule despite a minor delay caused by the unexpected collapse of an existing storm drain. That issue has now been resolved, allowing preparation works for kerbing and surfacing to move forward this week.
Alongside the carriageway excavation, the northbound footpath has also been fully excavated, BT infrastructure has been relocated, and waste material has been removed from the site.
A duo of work gangs remain active on site, with a third set to join when kerbing works begin next week. Late working took place on Friday (31st May) to allow Southern Water to complete associated diversion works.
Journey times on the diversion route between Newport and Cowes have remained stable during the roadworks. Between Tuesday 28th May and Friday 31st May, the average journey time was 16 minutes, with a maximum of 25 minutes recorded at peak times on Tuesday. Friday morning saw the shortest average travel time at just 14 minutes.
Afternoon peak data was limited but suggested slightly longer journeys after 16:00, with those trips averaging 24 minutes. Traffic heading in the opposite direction, from Cowes to Newport, continues to run smoothly.
Journey tracking is based on vehicles joining Forest Road, with an extra 2 minutes added for those entering via Gunville Road to ensure accurate comparison. Arrival times are logged at Nodes Road or Horsebridge Hill.
Planned works for the coming week include:
- Kerbing to both carriageways
- Addition of the third work gang
- Northbound footway construction
- Laying of the first tarmac layer to northbound and southbound carriageways
The Isle of Wight Council and contractors have confirmed the overall programme remains on track, with full completion still expected by the scheduled deadline.
In the meantime , gridlock happens.
Residents of the island have had it good for years,
you want to try living on the mainland,
gridlock happens everyday even though you
pay a ULEZ and a CONGESTION CHARGE
totalling £27.50 a day.
Not to mention having to pay “Double” to park
Diesel vehicles.
The majority of persons on the mainland
have had to get rid of their dirty vehicles
due to the climate, yet on the island
dirty vehicles blowing out sh*t are still
allowed to drive around.
Obviously the island doesn’t affect the
climate.
Wait for the extra 700+ houses a year to
be built, then you will have something to
moan about.
Plus if the island introduces it’s own
Congestion and ULEZ charges
Lol
Interesting choice of word ‘milestone’ , perhaps millstone would be more appropriate.
Their quoted ‘Journey Times’ are an absolue f’ing joke!!!
Yesterday it took me over an hour and a half to get from Staplers to Whitehouse road!, (between 8:30 & 10 am) with over an hour of that, on the dual carriageway…
as with the closure of Park Road in wootton, which caused massive delays on Lushington Hill,.. a small tweak to the timing of the relevant traffic lights, could have made a massive difference to the delays. but they (IR or IWC, whoever is resoponsible for it) are obviously too thick, or too imcompetant to do so.
No different to the rollout of Fibre, we had years of that
sh*t!
You just learn to get on with it.
First rule of statistics: make sure you measure the things most favourable to the result you want.
“Vehicles joining Forest Road” – before or after passing the pedestrian lights? A very simple adjustment to those lights to sync them with the main traffic filter would massively reduce the queuing there. Then the lights at Gunville Road could be prioritised for the increased flow westwards.
But, hey, I’m no expert.
26 minutes you say? Why did it take me nearly 40 minutes to just get from St Marys traffic light to Gunville traffic lights ?
As Norman Tebbit once said, get on your bike.
Lol
unfortunately, that makes it even worse…
when you have a constant stream of traffic in both directions, it is impossible to give the 1.5m clearance required to overtake a bike & so even when the traffic does move forwards, it’s then limited by the speed of the bike.
& why is it, that I have to give a bike 1.5m to overtake it, but if it under-takes me, it has to give no space at all, & even seems OK to scrape the paint on the nearside of my car….
I mean everyone on bikes like they do in the
Netherlands.
There are too many vehicles on the island,
old polluting diesel van’s etc.
“Time to scrap them”
Let’s hope when devolution comes along they
introduce an islandwide ULEZ system to get the old
bangers off the road.
Pollution levels on the island are on the up,
no good for out childrens futures.
The works would get done quicker if the operatives actually
got out of their vehicles.
Take their phones off them at the start of the day and return
them back to them at the end of the day.
Easy peasy