One of the worst roads on the Isle of Wight will be resurfaced by Island Roads, it has been confirmed, but works won’t begin for at least another 3 months and will take around 10 weeks to complete.
Great Preston Road in Ryde has been suffering for years with clay coming up through the road surface, leading to large potholes and general deterioration of the carriageway.
Remedial works have taken place on a section of the road between Surbiton Grove and Nicholson Road on several occasions – but it’s never enough.
Now, Island Roads has confirmed that plans are underway to sort the busy road out once and for all. Instead of just a top surface dressing, the road will be excavated and reconstructed properly.
It is currently anticipated that the works will begin in January and will last for around 10 weeks – likely finishing sometime in March 2023. The work is being planned for January so as to avoid the busier Spring and Summer months.
During the 10-week scheme, the road will be under a 24-hour closure with local diversions in place. This will mean further disruption for motorists who have recently had to endure fibre connectivity works in the area, plus the lengthy closure of Smallbrook and previous works on Great Preston Road.
What’s more, footway works are due to get underway on nearby Marlborough Road, causing further travel disruption in the Elmfield area.
Steve Ashman, Island Roads service director, has said:
“Great Preston Road is a busy road and the work required is fairly intensive so we are currently working to see how best to manage the traffic to keep as much access open for as long as possible while at the same time ensuring we can complete the work as quickly and as safely as possible.
“So while we know residents are keen for this road to be improved they must also be aware that the nature of the work will mean there will be some local inconvenience.
“We will be communicating more about the plans once they are finalised and we hope that the community agrees that any short term inconvenience will be offset by the improvements this work will bring.”
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There are calls from local residents to put double yellow lines on 1 side of the road, between Preston Close and Nicholson Road, to ease the current traffic situation. Some local residents are causing an obstruction by parking on the opposite side of the road to everyone else, which some fear will lead to an accident.
Steve Ashman, you actually sound as though your company is highly organised, it’s all been planned and it’s all under control.
Island Roads, you are living in a fantasy world if you think the people of the Wight retain a shred of respect or confidence in your abilities.
Our experience of your works since your appointment has made you a running joke on this Island and the worst of it is you actually don’t even seem to care!
What planet are you on? Island roads can’t just rock up and rebuild a road when they like. So many other agencies need to be talked to.
Also, in my experience, as a professional driver on the island of 40 years, every road they rebuild is excellent and lasts. Something that can’t be said for the monkeys that were doing the roads 30 years ago.
You sound like someone I know who lost out in the job interviews. Sounds like sour grapes to me.
load of rubbish….. SOME roads Island Roads re do.. are good, but not enough of these to warrant a good company.. MOST of the roads they have done are already falling apart, or cracking up.. what was it.. wrong aggregate ?? Smart company eh?? Hey Fred, how many of the roads they have resurfaced, have already had to be resurfaced again ??? Great company eh…?
The statements in your reply are questionable. The weight of opinion from the very many sensible people on this Island about the way Island Roads fulfil their contract, gathered through experience of their working, is heavily weighted against the view you claim to hold.
I would love to know where you are getting your statistics from. We all know what a lousy job Island Roads do. Shoddy work from shoddy workers, but I guess we have to give the immigrants something to do.
well maybe you would be happy if they did not bother at all. moan if they do moan
Yes it certainly needs double yellow lines as a busy road and with the fire engine constantly using it
The small cost incurred if it saves an accident will be so worth it.
10 weeks to repair the road .. joke then Wightfib and Southern Water go in and rip it up again .. well done Island Toads
I have to avoid this road when I am on my motorcycle. A very dangerous road for 2 wheeled transport.
I agree, and there are quite many ISLAND ROADS THAT ARE UNFIT FOR TWO WHEELED MACHINES… Not everyone wants to drive a tank !!! ( range rover)
How about doing the side roads in Ryde too.. instead of a few spoons of tarmac to refill pot holes.. Thought when you took on the contract , were supposed to resurface ALL the Island roads… not just some. Medina road now needs re levelling… obvious nothing to do with all the heavy lorries for the festival.. each year.. !
I live the other end of the road and it hasn’t been really touched in over 12years apart from a slash and dash the other night . I bet they don’t bother doing all of it and we have to live with our houses shaking when the buses and big lorry’s go past. Being woken at 5.20am by the Tesco wagon is more than a regular occurrence
Whinge whinge whinge. There are a lot of armchair experts on this mud patch, all of who think they know best. How about you go and work for the council if you think you can do better? How about you get a job in the call centre at I.R. and put up with daily abuse on the phone from the general public, all of which is unwarranted abuse and aimed at people who are powerless to do anything, apart from pass the messages on to people higher up? And who get precious little support from management? I know this because a friend of mine used to work there.
Maybe the people at the council or highways actually do know what they’re doing but, because you don’t agree with it, or have a massive chip on your shoulder, you just slag it off all the time.
Translated means starting by about April lasting for20 weeks ending about august.Yet another road for island toads to bodge up probably last for 6 months before crumbling away.why is nobody held account for all the shoddy jobs done by this firm?Island Toads bodging island roads say no more.
They are not held to account for the shoddy work and never will be because the work is inspected and approved by….. themselves! This is how the wonderful council set up the contract. Brown envelopes, nod, nod, wink, wink.
Place Road Cowes was the first road to be resurfaced by the Toads.Already patched up and crumbling away glued together with tarmac gun.Island toads can this be the way ahead as this road needs resurfacing again.All I see going around the island is island toads bodge jobs /quick fixes .Why aren’t these jobs done properly ?Island Toads are a joke outfit better off getting a couple of clowns from Billy Smart Circus to run these cowboys or can management from the Toads be held to account?
all these instant experts making comments on here
Great Preston Road is a nightmare due to vehicles parking on both sides of the Road
and many idiots parking on Pavements.
Double yellow lines need placing down this DANGEROUS road.
Also NO parking on Pavements signs need placing.
Just remember though, Double Yellow Lines will increase the average speed along the road by around 5mph.
The main problem down Great Preston Road is from the junction of Preston Close to the
Junction of Nicholson Road outside the Council Houses.
I am surprised emergency services have not noticed how dangerous this Road is,
especially being the Fire Station is based in Nicholson Road and they use
Great Preston Road on a daily basis.