Lengthy delays when travelling in and out of Sandown are to continue due to the closure of Morton Common, which is to remain closed due to safety concerns.
Earlier this week the main Ryde to Sandown road was closed due to significant flooding. River levels on the Eastern Yar had risen following torrential downpours and, as a result, the carriageway was flooded, making it impassable.
Island Roads have now confirmed that the flood water has receded but there are safety concerns due to the formation of ice.
Leftover flood water has frozen in subzero temperatures creating an ice slush that poses a risk to the public. The decision has therefore been taken to keep Morton Common closed to all traffic.
Motorists are being diverted via Yaverland and that will continue until further notice.
The long delays being experienced by motorists are due to temporary traffic lights on Yaverland Road which are in place due to a broken sewer pipe, as previously reported by Island Echo.
Southern Vectis is experiencing significant delays to its bus services with Routes 2 and 3 diverting from Sandown via Lake, Arreton and Brading Downs to reach Tesco. At Tesco, all buses from Sandown will terminate. A shuttle bus is in operation between Tesco and Ryde.
A spokesperson for Island Roads has said:
“Safety has to be the priority”.
There is good news though – Langbridge (Newchurch) has re-opened following the flooding earlier this week.
Have Island Roads never heard of salt then? What a pathetic organisation they are.
Pathetic organisation! They’re not that good.
Can they not clear the road?
Can’t argue with safety.
But also, have to leave home an hour early work on time only to get home an hour late in the evening so hope the ice melts soon.
It’s madness. Yaverland Road too narrow for a bus to meet a lorry or Bus other direction ant to top it off Police Speedtrap in a gridlock! My trip was vital and been unable to get medication. Tried via Lake and that shut too. Disgusting.
Why can’t they let people know(with signs) Morton Common is closed at Broadway Mini roundabout instead everyone having to turn left under bridge,turn around and then down Yaverland ?. If sat nav takes you Aggistone – good luck
Yep no diversion signs . I ended up in the middle of nowhere as I thought it had reopened. Finally ended up at bradind traffic lights near morton Common. Just a simple diversion sign would have helped all drivers .
IT’S only a island how can you end up nowhere. i think you need to get out more
This closure of Morton Common has caused a nightmare for so many of us who rely on the No2 or 3 bus too and from Ryde.
Southern Vectis haven’t helped due to the lack of information available to bus users. This is the first time the shuttle bus has been mentioned since the problems started on Monday! Thank you Island Echo for this vital information.
Of course it’s icy they haven’t run the salt lorry through the road. Come on island roads get the roads cleared and open it .
Island roads are a disgrace, Scrape the road then treat it, it’s not bloody rocket science…
Your paid to do a job, so get off your lazy ass and open the bloody road…
Why can’t island roads send a crew out to shovel up the slush on Morton common and remove it and re open the road or do they not have shovels and wheel barrows in Thier tool kit and why are buses into Ryde terminating at Tesco they don’t normally the diversion is between sandown and Tesco’s so no reason for them to terminate at tesco they can carry on into Ryde from tesco as they normally do once they get to Tesco are these company’s lazy, thick or just purposely difficult ? Oh yeah I forgot this is “great Britain” that would be to simple
Just get some real grit down on it, gravel if necessary.
Perhaps the dopey lot in charge of island roads could remove the temporary lights outside Yaverland Manor, then it wouldn’t be chaos along there.
Could Island roads not clear the ice and such away? The yaverland diversion is a complete joke during rush hour…
10 minutes with Snow plough and salt – sorted???????
There is no issue with temporary lights along Yaverland Road. The issue.is that large vehicles are ignoring the 6’6″ width restriction.and cannot pass each other along most of the route.irrespective of the works.
Where are vehicles over 6’6″ supposed to go then? As per, no advance signage put out by island roads. You only find out the road is closed when you get to Yarbridge Cross.
If the road is hazardous then you drive SLOWLY or not at all. Amazes me how so many stupid people can’t follow very simple guidance. The amount of stubborn muppets having issues or accidents during these conditions when you could just heed the advise is laughable.
Slightly confused here. Ice melts at zero degrees right? and with salt, even lower.
Today the temperature has been several degrees above that since 8AM and is only just dropping below 2 degrees now.
So surely the ice would have melted, especially with help from IR and their gritters.
Or do they just enjoy seeing us suffer?
If they don’t do something soon people will lose patience and start ignoring the signs and someone will get hurt.
I blame the island gammons. You knew what you were voting for. At least ‘we have got our country back.’ Stop whining and enjoy the sunny Brexit uplands! More of these Brexit bonuses to come.
‘temporary traffic lights on Yaverland Road which are in place due to a broken sewer pipe’
Yes, but the sewer pipe is actually in the adjacent field, not under the road. The lights are only there so the lorry drivers can park on the road and not have to pull into the field. Why would you block half the road on a diversion? Took 45 minutes to get past there today.
And, yes, the lack of advanced warning signs that Morton Road is closed coming out of Sandown until you actually get to the railway bridge is just plain stupid.
Island Roads are being paid a lot of money, they need to use some of that money to employ someone with some basic intelligence.
Dare I mention blocked drains.
Seems likely culprit.
This is not a quiet back road, it is arguably one of the busiest on the island and can’t just be left until the weather warms up.
It is a vital artery and closing it puts lives at risk.
If IR and IWCC lack the skill or resources to get it open then they should put their hands in their pockets and pay a mainland company to sort it.
Reading all the comments here, it’s true, Island Roads seem seem totally incapable of sorting this problem with Morton Common in an acceptable amount of time. We all know it only takes an accident or an flood to close roads and chaos reigns.
Once the flood water had subsided, men on the ground should have cleared the road of ice then it should have been gritted and then reopened. Why is this so difficult? Why is the IOW Council not getting involved to oversee this and sort this chaotic situation out?
Ok, it’s unfortunate the sewage pipe has burst in Yaverland. You can’t expect those heavy lorries to enter the field, they would get stuck so they have to stay on the road. Temporary lights there is the right thing. Road too narrow though!
The reed beds to the left of the bridge need to be partially drained. The channel is clogged up with reed and silt which slows water movement, a lake needs to be dug out to retain flood waters, in turn channels need to be dug next to the road to allow water to flow in to the river.and in turn the flood gate a bembridge need to allow more water in to the sea on the ebb tide. Hopefully that would sort the water problem at Morton.
Why are bus routes 2 and 3 terminating at Tesco? Perhaps someone from Southern Vectis would like to come on here and explain the logic in that?
this is why I use my flying car instead
why dont they just throw boiling water on the road thats what i would do sillly idiots