Access between Upper and Lower Ventnor will be restored later on today (Saturday) as works to repair a sewer pipe at The Graben have been completed ahead of schedule. As previously reported by Island Echo, the disruptive closure of Newport Road was only put in place on Monday (24th June) with work anticipated to take at least 11 days. But Southern Water has been able to complete the urgent repairs much quicker than initially thought. With resurfacing works now complete and the tarmac setting, a full closure is to remain in place until around 17:00 this afternoon – although it could be as early as 10:00. It means that the lengthy diversions in place via Whitwell and Niton will soon be removed, with two-way travel restored between Whitwell and Godshill too. Crucially, Ventnor residents and businesses will have another route in and out of the town. Yesterday contractors began removing the majority of the on site fencing and today the remaining equipment and fencing will be removed ahead of final safety checks. 
A spokesperson for Southern Water has said:
“Complex work like this takes an average of around two weeks, as we take into account the time it takes to provide solutions for any unforeseen additional work. On this occasion, the specialist machinery used helped a great deal and our contractors were able to schedule extra resource on site. We arranged for weekend work and extra shifts for our engineering crews. “Our aim is always to complete necessary repair work as quickly and as safely as possible, to avoid disruption to residents and commuters as much as we can. We are grateful for the support and patience of local residents and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
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A big thank you to all the workers sweating in the hot weather to get this done. Great news.
It will be closed again in a month.
Makes up for all the sitting in the vehicles
doing Fcuk all the majority of time.
Island Roads need to be paid peace work.
Take note Island roads
Its not about standing around trying to work out how to yse a shovel. You go to work to do the work. Its a real easy task.
Time to party and celebrate it’s reopen. Bring your nan’s and we can all have a Graben Gran Party!
I appreciate the time it must’ve taken thinking that one up
Be closed again soon because it’s on a natural slip, people need to understand that no matter how much you fill it (this also adds weight to the land movement) it will still move! Stop moaning and just prepare for this route in and out of V Town to be cut off soon for ever, the powers to be that’s the IW Council to the uneducated that want to blame the road repair contractor it’s out of their control, the clowncil need to invest but they won’t. If we have a dry summer and a wet winter this road will move again, it’s like blaming Tesco’s for finding a hamster in your tin of Heinz beans and blaming Tesco!!!
Little knowledge is dangerously bad if you have a keyboard.