Motorists face traffic mayhem this morning (Friday) as Marlborough Road in Ryde has been unexpectedly closed – at the same time that Great Preston Road and Smallbrook Lane are closed.
Emergency gas works have forced the closure of the road – the diversion route for the already-closed Great Preston Road – in both directions between Salisbury Road and Westridge Cross.
It means that all traffic heading out of Ryde towards Brading will have to divert via Appley, Pondwell (where there are 4-way lights) and Bullen Road – or head to the other side of town to Ashey Road and onwards to Smallbrook Roundabout (where there are also 3-way lights).
Motorists cannot use High Park Road as a southbound diversion as Great Preston Road is one-way from Westridge Cross to High Park Road to enable WightFibre works. It also means traffic is unable to turn right at the top of Smallbrook Lane.
As well as the one-way system, Great Preston Road is closed between Harding Road and Elm Close for carriageway reconstruction works by Island Roads.
For those heading into Ryde from Brading, a suitable diversion is left at Westridge Junction into Great Preston Road, then right into High Park Road to join East Hill Road.
Local traffic should note that the closure is between Salisbury Road and Westridge Cross, meaning no side roads off of High Park Road can be used to divert around the closure.
A number of motorists are ignoring road closure signs and one-way orders, putting others at risk and committing a road traffic offence.
The lengthy diversion, which has traffic queueing at the temporary traffic lights, is likely to have an impact on response times for emergency services today.
UPDATE @ 15:16 – Island Roads has confirmed that the gas leak at Marlborough Road has now been repaired by SGN.
The road is being reinstated and will open for 17:00 today.
Motorists have been reported delays of around an hour in the area today.
Inept planning at its finest. You clouldn’t write this stuff in fiction.
Not looking forward to the bus ride to work today. It’s been utter chaos all week even with malborough road open.
Time for an emergency road opening of great Preston road until the gas works are complete methinks.
That was good planning
Too tight to pay the workers to work at night with 24hr continuation needed to prevent these sort of things occurring and re opening the road asap to save the disruption to thousands of hard working people.! But i suppose the share holders profits are more important.
I see that picture was taken at night with not 1 worker in sight if this was emergency road closure why do they not work through the night?
You’re confusing “emergency” as defined in the 1984 road traffic act with the standard dictionary usage.
The former simply means that it was done without requiring the full planning and notification process.
Though in this case, given that it appears to be a gas leak and that the impact of the closure is borderline catastrophic I thing the latter definition also applies.
As such, you have a valid point that extended working hours and other mitigating actions are definitely justified and puzzling by their absence.
Ut oh!!!! Complete chaos then, not good. I hope the gas leak is fixed ASAP so at least Marlborough Road can reopen. The traffic build up in this area is horrendous. Coming back from Ryde, I went via Seaview, Pondwell then St Helens to avoid the very loooooong queue to get along Marlborough Road to the Westridge Garage traffic lights
It wouldn’t be so bad if someone pulled their finger out and worked to finish the jobs instead of closing these road and then vanishing !!!! These roads should not be closed otherwise emergency vehicles would be stuck in traffic and someone could lose their life. Utterly chaotic and the council should be taken to task but hey they are a law unto themselves and they don’t care sat in their offices.
Wight fibre are a pain why can’t they get there act together and get the job done on main roads should have finished the end of great pres road terrible service more staff on the road works and one road at a time please it’s not rocket science
I would not use Wight Fibre if it was free of charge
They have caused nothing but chaos over the last few years
WHAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THERE ARE NO PARKING / NO WAITING CONES DOWN
HIGH PARK ROAD AND GREAT PRESTON ROAD
AND VEHICLES ARE STILL PARKED DOWN THESE ROADS
NO ONE IS POLICING THE PARKING
IT’S A TOTAL NONSENSE
THESE CONES ARE A JOKE
YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST PUT ICE CREAM CONES DOWN
AFTER ALL THIS NONSENSE WHO WOULD USE WIGHT FIBRE
The IW Council are totally clueless when it comes to maintaining / Organising
Road work on the Island
Totally shocking
And they are talking about Building more homes in Ryde.
“Stupid idea”
Ryde is Gridlock City thesedays.
Whenever you drive past McDonald’s in Ryde it is an Accident waiting too
happen with vehicles tailed back to Bullen cross.
McDonald’s is too small and have no Traffic Control
Soon there will be a serious accident due to McDonald’s having no
Traffic Control
Vehicles still parked down High Park Road and Great Preston Road Ryde
“NO WAITING / NO PARKING CONES” ALONG ROADS – OBVIOUSLY NOT WORKING
ARE THERE NO CLAMPING COMPANIES ON THE ISLAND
Police or traffic wardens should sort this there quick to put a ticket on a car in Ryde town ,or is it easy money in the town
I wish the government that give these companies money actually look in to how are money is being spent .Wight fibre it’s not your money it comes from us you should use it properly it’s a total joke manage your contact properly please