Local businesses and residents in Ventnor are facing significant disruption after Island Roads issued notice for more than 6 months of works to resurface the footway and replace the safety railings on Rene Howe Walk.
According to a letter sent to local residents, works will commence on 4th September and are set to last approximately 27 weeks.
The safety railings on Rene Howe Walk – which goes from the top to the bottom of The Casade – will be replaced ‘with ones that meet modern safety standards, while respecting the character of the surrounding area’.
The footway will also be resurfaced and bollards will also be installed at the top and bottom of Shore Hill to prevent vehicles leaving the carriageway.
The Cascade will remain open to traffic at all times though for 2 periods during the work temporary traffic signals will be required as the work also involves significant excavation of the existing kerbing and footway.
Project manager Nathaniel Saunders hsd said:
“Rene Howe Walk is within a conservation area and so we have liaised closely with the Isle of Wight Council’s Conservation Officer to ensure the new railings and bollards are in keeping to with the local character.
“The new railings will be vertical as opposed to the current horizontal style as vertical railings are more compliant with the required safety standards. They will also need to be set in new concrete foundations which means we will have to excavate much of the current footway and it is this element – plus the need to erect a lot of scaffolding – that means the project will take around 27 weeks.
Article continues below this advertisement “We have sought to undertake the work outside of the main summer season but using as many weeks as possible before the winter months when working is more likely to be affected by shorter daylight hours, lower temperatures etc. This is particularly so in this location which is an exposed coastal site.”
There will be a planned 2-week break in works over the Christmas and New Year period.
The news comes as work continues at the nearby collapsed seawall on Ventnor’s Eastern Esplanade, which is not expected to be completed until next year.
6 months my ar*e, it will overrun like the Ryde Interchange works.
Get the so called mainlanders to do the job. Have it done in a week. Islanders thick as xxxx
27 weeks and islands roads don’t tally up
More like 37 weeks and counting
I feel for the businesses on the seafront, so far this season hasn’t been good. Shorter daylight hours wouldn’t affect this work your lucky to see Island Roads working between 8am and 4pm anyway. Also are there any plans to resurface some of the roads out of season? Victoria Street, High Street and Alpine Road for starters!
Anybody know where to find the island roads satisfaction survey results from febuary?Would love to see the results please..
Can’t understand why people moan about the work ,it needs doing!!!
If they didn’t do it moan ,when they say they are going to do it moan …
Get a grip folks …..
Be grateful it is being repaired !!!!!
Typical Island Toads effort.Firstly allow time for repairs then add on to that the time for tea breaks playing with phone travel leaning on things and scratching heads reading paper etc.Hey presto a minimum of 27 weeks that probably will overrun for much longer.
Saw an island roads employee for apparently no reason stamp on a snail today.I asked him why did you do that?He said the snail had it coming to it because it was moving faster than him all day! WTF.
Karma will have that employee.
Island roads seem desparate to strangle Island Tourism…. Chine Hollow shut in Shanklin yet the rocks and mud and rubbish have beenlike it is since last October!!! And the Grern slippery moss.. Whoever lives in the Black and White House that backs onto the hollow must have some clout to get it shut mid season.. What difference would 3 werks have made untiled if August? And whoever let those gardeners pull out ferns and tree roots on the banking on monsoon weather needs their head testing… Same for Ventnor it’s bern a bad year nobody has, spare money fir gifts or cafes… What difference 3 weeks?
If it aint broke don’t fix it! Surely Island Roads time would be better spent repairing abysmal roads rather than replacing perfectly adequate railings?
How many people have been injured or killed in the past 10 years due to these out-of-date railings?
Surely there has to be more important things for Island Roads to be concentrating on, or are all the roads on the Island perfect?
Catherine Johnson – the echo in the room as usual. Just write “ditto” in future.
You know island roads will ruin it just like they have with all the roads they resurfaced.
If you are around shanklin take alook at the path on downlands view
It has plants growing through
Some one cut a bit of tarmac out then filled it back in with new tarmac
And guess what the plants are back just three weeks later.
But what is funny they on ly did some of it
The plants they left are less than 12inch a way
Yet another quality fix by this cowboy outfit aka Island Toads
ISLAND TOADS BODGING ISLAND ROADS! No change there then.
Gibion cages would sort it out
Can the public purchase any of the old railings? I grew up in Ventnor and walked up and down the cascade daily with my gramps and family members who are no longer here. We never ever had a problem with these railings! But if there being replaced can I buy one for my own garden to remember the happy times. Or are they going to chuck them away? .