The aftermath of yesterday’s torrential downpours has now been revealed in Ventnor, where extreme amounts of water caused significant damage to one of the town’s most iconic roads.
Shore Hill – one of the main access routes to Ventnor seafront – suffered extensive damage after the town received nearly 10cm of rain in just a few hours. The staggering amount of water overwhelmed drainage systems with the extreme pressure lifting road surfaces and prompting fears for a potential landslip.
After several hours of being closed for safety reasons as Island Roads staff inspected the road and its structure, the route reopened yesterday evening under temporary traffic lights. Assessments remain ongoing and traffic management is expected to be in place for a considerable amount of time – with further closures expected in the near future to allow damage to be repaired.
Road surface has completely lifted along several of the roads pavements and large cracks can be seen spreading throughout the side of the road nearest the drop. Manhole covers have also received damage with the surface around them bubbling and lifting.
At the height of yesterday’s incident, so much water was gushing through and down the road that the paddling pool on the seafront was completely underwater, with the familiar Isle of Wight shape invisible. Thanks to the work of a local resident, the pool has now been cleaned and refilled with clear water.
It is not yet known if any damage has occurred underneath the road, but engineers are set to continue investigating.
WATCH: The aftermath of torrential deluges that saw Ventnor’s Shore Hill ripped apart.
if island roads partners are southern Water god help us all and don’t swim off Ventnor when there working on the road