Construction of the new St Mary’s junction is progressing well and remains on track for completion before Christmas as the scheme moves into the next phase.
The works to the north of the roundabout fronting the hospital have been completed with a new shared footway/cycleway constructed on the opposite side of the road linking to the hospital via a new signal-controlled crossing.
The contraflow has been removed although traffic in each direction remains in a single lane to help manage flows while construction continues on St Mary’s roundabout.
The completion of the new signal-controlled junction with Forest Road is nearly finished with eastbound traffic already using the new junction and the northbound slip road to Cowes.
An additional lane has been provided around the B&Q roundabout and the dual carriageway northbound approach to St Mary’s roundabout widened in readiness for the new signal-controlled junction.
The next crucial phase of the works to begin to form the new signal-controlled junction and approach to the B&Q roundabout will start on 10th August.
This will require the closure of the access from St Mary’s roundabout to the Dodnor estate until early September during which time traffic will be diverted via Riverway. Access from the estate to St Mary’s roundabout will be retained throughout the period.
The work has been scheduled during the summer when peak hour traffic flows through the junction are at the lowest and to avoid the start of the academic year at the college.
Access to the Dodnor estate will be reopened early in September when works will move to create the Hunnyhill bus link. This will allow services to continue to operate via that route while Hunnyhill is closed to allow the construction of that connection to the new junction later in the Autumn.
Plans showing the traffic management arrangements for these stages of the work which will be in place between 10th August and 12th October are included above and below.
Motorists are advised that during the work, and because of the single lane access onto St Mary’s roundabout, there may be additional congestion during these phases. The council and Island Roads advise motorists to use alternative routes or to plan their journeys outside of busy periods if at all possible.
Cllr Ian Ward, Cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said:
“I am really pleased with the progress which has been made to remain on programme particularly in these challenging circumstances.
“This period will see the most disruptive part of the work although I am pleased it has been planned to minimise that as far as is possible.
“I hope the maps and information we are publishing in advance will help people to plan their essential journeys and we remain grateful for everyone’s continued patience as we progress this important junction improvement.”
Kevin Burton, Island Roads network manager, said:
“Though the past few months have not been without challenges we are delighted to have been able to maintain progress and keep the project on schedule.
“We are now entering a critical phase which will bring with it some disruption, but after which we really will be on the home straight with the finishing line in sight.
“Part of the reason we have been able to maintain progress is because of the co-operation and understanding residents and businesses have shown.
“I am sure they will continue to work with us as we move through these critical next few phases.”
It is a total shambles with unnecessary delays there is absolutely no reason why it continues to be a single lane, and as for finding another route to avoid it how are we ment to do that when you are travelling from West Cowes onto the duel carriageway yet another councillor talking absolute nonsense.
Every time I fight my way through I see very few construction staff present and even less working.
Another Island Council shambles!
If only there was some way of reliving traffic flow through the junction during this critical stage of construction.? A reliable alternative for cowes traffic heading towards east Wight.
I am sure there used to be.
Still the new junction looks great.I hated that green round-a-bout covered in mature shrubs and all those bushes on the approach.Looks great now they have flattened it all and covered it in tarmac.I have also never seen so many sets of traffic lights anywhere.It just proves we are at the cutting edge of expensive unquantifiable traffic management
All well and good. But for the look of it already it is going to cause delays down the duel, when it is completed causing the traffic to be worse. Complete waste of money for every islander that pays council tax. Just wait folks till they plan what to do with coppins bridge you know it will be even worse
I was stuck in traffic there for ages the other day and couldn’t figure out what the hold up was with relatively light traffic until I reached the newly operational lights – I then realised that I hadn’t been suffering an unnecessarily prolonged delay, but was actually a beneficiary of the council bureaucrats’ much trumpeted St Mary’s ‘improvement’ project, which I am sure will ‘improve’ even more as they open more sets of lights and give us the full benefit of their ‘future proofing’ skill.
We went to the Range in cowes just over a week ago the traffic was from st Mary’s right back to somerton roundabout and right down place road as far as you could see . So on my return went via porch field what a shambles.
I notice that it doesn’t say which Christmas, on purpose I guess.
Best to give Newport a complete miss henceforth. Bad now, impossible in the foreseeable future.
It will ll be over by Christmas
Good to see the traffic lights are already ‘improving traffic flow’ and not just holding up traffic and ruining fuel efficiency! Absolute waste of money.
Soon we will all be remembering how good it was before they messed with it.
Only one major roundabout worked in the Isle of Wight, once… That was the one at the hospital! Still, if it ain’t broke let’s really fix it till it’s buggered up beyond all belief and the taxpayers really hurt!
I remember when there was only one set of traffic lights on the Island – at Yarmouth bridge!