Work is to begin shortly to rebuild and resurface a section of the Newport to Sandown cycle track which has become prone to flooding over the past few years. The work by Island Roads will improve 660 metres of the cycle track a Blackwater from a point 100 metres south of Blackwater Hollow to Birchmore Lane. The project will see 120 metres of the cycle track resurfaced and raised to make it less prone to flooding and a further 540 metres of adjoining track also resurfaced to improve the ride quality. Work is due to start on 10th June with it hoped it will be completed by 12th July. The work is being done at this time of year because the area being improved needs to be dry. To minimise inconvenience, Island Roads has sought to use the window outside of both school/public holidays and events such as Walk the Wight when the path is particularly busy, and the main summer holiday season. During work, it will be necessary to close a section of the track between Blackwater Hollow and Birchmore Lane but a short diversion, which will be signed, will enable pedestrians and cyclists to continue to travel between Blackwater and Merstone (and beyond). An Island Roads spokesperson said:
“We apologise for any inconvenience this project may cause but, as users of this track will know, the work to reduce the occurrences of flooding and to improve the surface will be of great benefit to the Island’s walking and cycling infrastructure.”
Please note that the start and finish times of the project may be subject to change due to issues such as inclement weather. This is particularly so as this location is prone to flooding.
Lovely cycle track, makes you wonder why cyclists choose to use the Blackwater Road instead?
‘lovely cycle track’… have you seen the picture that goes with the article? .. does it look ‘lovely’ to you?
Assuming that was irony considering the picture show just how lovely it is.
If you happen to be a duck.
They done the one in afton marsh with no culverts and it floods worst that ever….. guess they’ll fuck this up too
Freshwater was not Island Roads but the muppets in charge of West Wight railway track path that does anything but follow the railway and is a waste of money. It crosses Beatty Haunt lane not using the railway bridge but at the level with the road. Idiots.
The Afton track was well made and is fine… hate to break it to you, but marshes are very watery places 😉
Worst than it’s ever been, used to walk it daily….
Afton track was always passable in the winter with it being a bit boggy in places. I never resorted to Wellies, just walking boots and there was an alternate path to the left of it, closer to the houses.
Now you need a wet suit to navigate it during the winter and the alternate path is still flooded. The whole nature of the walk has been desecrated and looks terrible. Most of the various duck species that were always there have not returned.
All done in the cause of making it accessible to a few cyclists that are on it for around 3 minutes as it does not actually go anywhere.
Let’s hope after they have repaired this they will start on the roads.
Needs to be done, literally unusable without wellies at the best of times
No point, the peasants don’t use them, they just clog up the Rds!
Why waste money on a cycle track, cyclists don’t contribute to it,
majority of cyclists don’t even use it, bit like the one along
Ryde Interchange, cyclists cycle along the road instead!.
Spend the money on making Roads safe for motorists who
actually pay to use the Roads.
Time Councils charged cyclists an annual fee.
What about the walkers that use it, should they have to pay as well? It’s not the roads that need to be safer it’s the morons driving on them
Walkers shouldn’t have to pay but cyclists should.
I would pay as a cyclist if it was a dedicated cycle track. But it’s not, it’s a shared path and the large majority using it are dog walkers.
Exactly how do motorists pay for the roads Trev, since ‘Road Tax’ was abolished in 1937? I’ll tell you – through general taxation, just as we all do, pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and drivers alike.
Where do you get the idea that motorists pay to use the road? Vehicle excise duty (VED) or road tax as its more commonly known is based on emissions. No emissions, no tax. Same with fuel duty, there is none on electric cars. If anything you should be giving cyclists a rebate as they do less damage to the roads than a car, given we all pay for the roads through general taxation.
Might be some cars that do not require tax at the moment but don’t forget that can change !
“We apologise for any inconvenience this project may cause shame they can’t say the same when they dig up the roads