EXCLUSIVE: Roadworks which have caused months of disruption in Ryde are set to continue for around another 4 weeks, Southern Water have confirmed to IslandEcho.
Motorists have been hindered by temporary traffic lights and a poor road surface on St John’s Hill since the end of 2013, when work began to replace a water main from School Street to Meaders Road.
Questions have been raised by Island Echo readers as to why the section of road has been repeatedly dug up with work extending the original 6 week period stated. A Southern Water spokesperson has said a series of complications with other services including gas pipes and electricity cables meant the initial main pipe replacement – completed in December – had to be dug by hand resulting in a delay.
The roadworks were halted over the Christmas period, a time when the road surface deteriorated producing large potholes and growing concerns about the works being undertaken.
During the early hours of Thursday morning, the road became flooded by Jewson Morey’s yard prompting an emergency call out for engineers. A defective part has been blamed for the incident and other complications.
A Southern Water spokesman has told Island Echo:
“We are now back on site installing new individual connections for the 44 properties served by the new section of main.
“As the project has progressed, we have made some temporary reinstatements to the road surface. Once complete, the road will be properly reinstated to all the required standards.
Article continues below this advertisement “All being well, we hope to have completed all of the individual connections and finished the work by the end of February.”
