Disruptive works to repair a sewer pipe on Queens Road in Ryde will continue into 2023, with a full road closure expected in the New Year for a period of 3 months, Island Echo can reveal.
It was back in July of this year – just as the Summer holidays began – that works by Island Roads to repair a 40-metre section of retaining wall got underway. The scheme was set to last 10 weeks, with a one-way system in place for motorists heading into Ryde.
However, only a matter of weeks into the works, the busy main road had to be closed in both directions as a result of a sewer becoming blocked. It’s now known that workers repairing the wall inadvertently injected concrete into a 15m section of the main sewer pipe. This has led to overground pumping of waste, causing an almighty stench for local residents.
On 7th October, as the estimated 10-week project deadline hit, Island Echo reported that the road was to remain closed for a further 3 weeks to allow Southern Water to undertake further works to fully resolve the sewer pipe issue. Some 5 weeks later it was reported that although the one-way closure remained in force, Island Roads had completed the repairs to the retaining wall.
It was back on 11th November that Southern Water said it would be at least another 4 weeks until work would be completed, with the road set to re-open this coming Friday (9th December). Highly specialist equipment was being drafted in to precisely cut away the concrete.
Now, almost 20 weeks after the wall works began, Island Echo can reveal that the road won’t re-open on Friday with the disruption to continue for many more weeks to come. Chaos is set to ensue in the New Year when Queens Road is closed in both directions – likely to be for at least 3 months.
It’s said that the specialist concrete cutting gear has managed to remove 10m of the ‘grout’, but Southern Water contractors are going to have to dig down and completely replace a 5m section of sewer, as well as line the entire 15m section. This is said to be a deep excavation with added complexities.
The closure of the road will force all traffic in and out of Ryde along Argyll Street, causing tailbacks not only to the West Street crossroads but down through town and down Green Street.
A spokesperson for Southern Water said:
“We know the disruption and inconvenience the closure of Queen’s Road is causing local residents and motorists in Ryde.
“Unfortunately repairs have been more complicated than we anticipated, and the sewer will also require lining to repair all the damage. Because of this we are currently in discussions to extend this work as it will take a number of weeks to resolve the issues.
“We would like to thank local residents and motorists for their patience during this time, and as soon as we know a clearer idea of the timeline we will communicate this to local residents and stakeholders.”
Local residents have told Island Echo that they feel no one cares and no one is taking responsibility for the mess.
In a letter to the editor, published on 14th October, another resident said that they had to leave their home at times due to the smell of raw sewage.
The specialist equipment is only available from the mainland and only available by two companies nationally hence the long wait
If Gabion cages were used, then none of this would have happened.
Take out a section of wall, place the first cage in place, load the cage with the demolished wall, then repeat until the entire length is complete.
No cement work to block drains or create carbon dioxide
NO lorries taking away the old wall, OR brining in new walling.
Quick, cheap, and would blend in as using the old wall materials.
Good for wildlife too.
So no wonder the council never used it.
you seem to have a fetish for gabions.
This is a totally unacceptable and inexcusable situation. It is now the responsibility of those concerned to man this mess with sufficient people so that work, and I mean work, is carried out 24 hours a day to complete what ever is required in the absolute minimum period of time. No excuses, no buts, just get on and get it done, fast. Meantime, I trust you are paying compensation to the residents of Queens Road.
I feel so sorry for the local residents having the generators going 24/7. Nightmare
I wonder if this work would take as long if compensation were payable to those impacted by the works?
They are all coming across s totally clueless, is this really the standards that should be expected from so called Tradesmen?
What an utter $//$ up, absolutely disgusting, I am sorry for all the innocent motorists and locals who have to put up with this shambles.
That’s why Island Roads should not be working on our roads as they don’t have a clue what they are doing. Roads that have been done now have huge dips causing large puddles/floods and no camber on road is leading to surface water that now sits in the road rather than draining to the side. Just as well not needing to replace main sewer in our street as some 18/20ft down and under properties as well as highway.
Island Roads are run by a company in Kent who are owned by the French.
Island Roads are owned by Vinci SA, their head office is on the outskirts of Paris.
Their ownership is as follows:
Institutional investors outside France: 57.2%
Institutional investors inside France: 17.1%
Individual shareholders – 6.8%
Employees – 8.8%
Qatar Investment Authority – 5%
Treasury shares – 8.3%
Open up the end of Spencer’s Road, lay a temporary surface and make it a one way entry for town traffic to ease congestion
Maybe if they worked more than just 9 am to 4 pm and seven days a week rather than at the most 5 we might feel that they do understand the disruption and inconvenience the closure of Queen’s Road is causing.
I think if the workers (ie the ones down in the hole) were offered an appropriate pay rate they would work 24 hour shifts.The problem is there wouldn’t be any pen pushers (at least4) present so work can’t take place !
Not chaos is it Darren. We have grown used to it by now. Probably stay like this forever. Happy Christmas.
My son said he would really like a cowboy outfit for Christmas.Unfortunately ISLAND TOADS are not for sale.Looks like I will have to get him an XBOX instead.
LET THE TOADS SEE THE ROADS.Typical either a quick fix or a bodge job.SAY NO MORE.
Its not just Island roads but also Wight Fibre who haven’t got a clue about placing proper signage, who hires these cowboys.
“Southern Water contractors are going to have to dig down and completely replace a 5m section of sewer”
if they’d just dug out & replaced the entire 15m section, they’d have been finished long ago.!
instead, they try to do it ‘on the cheap’, & still have to dig it out any way ….
why is it, that when there is a problem, they look for the most complicated solution, rather than just geting it sorted?
(probably so management can justify their excessive pay packets)
Silence from our council, on this debacle. Also will they still go ahead with the pavement repair, that’ll also put traffic lights on Binstead road for 6 weeks!!!
It would help the traffic if island roads turned off the traffic lights at the Queens road junction as all they have caused is unnecessary traffic disruption, i suppose expecting common sense from them is asking too much.
I have talked to the council about changing traffic lights before and they basically said it was too hard to make changes with the new intelligent traffic lights that have been installed across the island. Money well spent again then, I think not
Just get on with it total rubbish if it was the mainland it would have to been done by now .There no one working there ever . weeks of distribution and they don’t care
No one that is connected with either Southern Water or Island roads are particularly bothered by this debacle, as it doesn’t affect them, as they don’t live along the road, simple as that really, if they were bothered they would have a robust plan they could share, the comment “” timeline will be communicated later”” gives us that clue, they don’t know themselves.
I forecast it will still be like this in May 2023, look how long the Ryde seafront work took ?
I hope that the 10 week (we can only hope it does not get extended) planned closure of Great Preston Road by Island Roads in January along with any other local planned closures will be postponed until this fiasco is finished otherwise Ryde will come to a standstill yet again, much as it did when they did the roundabout at smallbrook and Wight Fibre were doing Grest Preston Road at the same time
déjà vu its Ryde seafront all over again its the poor residents I feel sorry for the noise & smell
WHY not open Spencer Road for all incoming traffic
This island has a lackadaisical approach to everything , such poor workmanship and a lack of common sense , no competitors allow them to drag their heels, should put them on price work it’ll soon get done !
The works where done by an Island company called DDGA, on behalf of Island Roads. Their bad workmanship caused the drains to be filled up with concrete and lead to all the ongoing issues. Island Roads & Southern Water are attempting to repair the damaged caused – maybe the contractor that did the damage in the first place should be held accountable and repair the works / foot the bill for all the ongoing disruption!!!!!!!
Be a good idea to shut Newnham road so no one in binstead can avoid the traffic.Oh that’s lucky they thought of that