Months of chaos for residents of Queen’s Road and those heading into and out of Ryde are to finally come to an end after it was confirmed by Southern Water to Island Echo that the road is to be reopened fully by the end of the day.
Only last week, Island Echo revealed that the planned works to repair a sewer would most likely spill over into 2023, but it has now been confirmed that equipment is being packed up and the road to re-open after last-chance works to fix it before Christmas was successful.
But Island Echo can now reveal, that the small section of sewer that was causing delays to the works, has now been replaced and all equipment removed meaning the road can open under 2-way traffic for the first time since July.
It was back in July of this year – just as the Summer holidays began – that works by Island Roads to repair a 40-metre section of retaining wall got underway. The scheme was set to last 10 weeks, with a one-way system in place for motorists heading into Ryde.
However, only a matter of weeks into the works, the busy main road had to be closed in both directions as a result of a sewer becoming blocked. It’s now known that workers repairing the wall inadvertently injected concrete into a 15m section of the main sewer pipe. This has led to overground pumping of waste, causing an almighty stench for local residents.
On 7th October, as the estimated 10-week project deadline hit, Island Echo reported that the road was to remain closed for a further 3 weeks to allow Southern Water to undertake further works to fully resolve the sewer pipe issue. Some 5 weeks later it was reported that although the one-way closure remained in force, Island Roads had completed the repairs to the retaining wall.
It was back on 11th November that Southern Water said it would be at least another 4 weeks until work would be completed, with the road set to re-open this coming Friday (9th December). Highly specialist equipment was being drafted in to precisely cut away the concrete.
Southern Water have said that they hope the road will be back open by this evening, hopefully in time to ease congestion at the evening rush hour.
UPDATE @ 14:30 – The road looks set to be opened imminently with Island Roads operatives hosing down the carriageway removing any debris from the road surface.
What’s the betting they will be back!
Sewer Works on the Island are always Poor.
I would immediately contact a mainland firm who knows what they are doing in the first place
to carry out such works.
5 months, they are having a laugh, what have they been doing!, sunbathing or bird spotting.
Have you seen the birds in Ryde !
Island Road should have been more careful where they poured their concrete shouldn’t they!!!!!!!! They were only supposed to be rebuilding a wall and it’s foundations.
They were only supposed to blow the doors off!!! ( Italian Job, Michael Caine)
I live in Ryde, I travel to and from Ryde everyday for work……. It’s really not that bad, its never been that bad. Ok sometimes there’s a bit of a queue but it moves fairly quick. I would not call it “chaos” its a minor inconvenience at best. So many exaggerations in this article
It was pretty bad at the start. But as with all these things people find alternative routes and stay clear if they can.
Having said that someone’s been phoning Wave radio station because it’s been on the travel news every day recently.
” A bit of a queue, ” Were you working on the job by any chance? Do you work nights? or are you on hallucinatory drugs? Local radio have also been reporting long traffic queues continually into Ryde, I have also been in and witnessed long queues.
16.00 still chaos….
ISLAND TOADS STRIKE AGAIN.
Concrete toad in the sewer hole.
Does this mean the previous statement 8 days ago that Queens Road would be shut in the New Year for up to 3 months is null and void?
At last! They’ll soon have traffic lights on Binstead Rd, for 5 weeks to do the pavements.
The costs of this repair should be borne totally by Island Roads and them only, Nothing to be paid by the rate payers who have been put out of pocket in time and money. Why should the rate payers spend more money because some one ‘ accidentally ‘ pumped concrete into a sewer
The fact that it was said only two weeks ago that it would take 2 to 3 months after Christmas to fix it and now it’s magically reopened proves they just didn’t know. What changed, have they done a quick fix ?
Yippee!!! Is there going to be a big party to celebrate!!! It took less time to build the great wall of china lol!
No they just need the lights and cones to disrupt another road somewhere
What a pathetic joke this saga has been, OK great it has been completed, however a few days ago it was expected to take Months to complete the work, as if by magic the work is complete today.
Who has been in charge? Can we trust a word we have been told either now or in the future?
Good to see Queens road is open again,but why was it reported expected to be closed for 3 months and suddenly it’s completed at short notice seems the reporting was dramatic or something at the engineering gave a guess with the time frame
It’s not complete, it’s opening for the Xmas period, closing again early January to continue the work
Is that a fact Mark or just a fair guess?
Hahaha hahahaa hahahaa
About time to ,,, to many days with no one working typical .
BUT won’t be open long wait and see our famous island roads teams will be back on the snagging list very soon
This is so funny hope it’s a pain for you guys