A footway on the seawall at Queens Road in Cowes, which was damaged by Storm Eunice, has reopened this week with parking bay restrictions caused by repair work lifted.
The February storm caused significant damage to the sea wall supporting Queens Road by undermining the wall and creating a void that collapsed the footway above. Island Roads secured the area and made safe the electrical apparatus and blocked off the area, leading to the temporary suspension of parking.
In the short term, the coastal management team has overseen an emergency repair of the collapsed area with the work carried out by the Sandown-based contractor J A Dempsey which was completed on Friday 12th August.
In the medium to long term, the Coastal Management Team is liaising with structural engineering experts from Coastal Partners and the Environment Agency to survey the condition of the whole structure and beach levels. This will help the council to understand the full extent of the condition of the Queens Road coastal assets and develop a plan of action into the future.
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet member for Climate Change & Environment said:
“The increasing number of extreme weather events we are experiencing as a result of the impact of our changing climate highlight those areas where the Island is vulnerable. In the past weeks the very dry conditions meant that we have been very concerned about the risk of fire in the countryside.
“But only a few months ago a record-breaking storm caused significant damage across the Isle of Wight and the immediate repair and the need for long term solution required in Queens Road is an example of the challenges we face as a community.”
Councillor Phil Jordon, Cabinet member for Infrastructure & Highways added:
“We are pleased to be able to bring this stretch of footway back into use, but we cannot underestimate the huge demands placed on our infrastructure by both storms and hot weather. In terms of this part of the sea front in Cowes it means working with our partners to assess the condition of the wall and surrounding area to look at how we can manage the situation in the future.”
Do not class nearly six months a few months typical out of touch statement. Visitors to Cowes couldn’t believe that it hadn’t been fixed a long time before and it was an eyesore and spoilt a lovely walk along the sea front.
Perhaps a local charge could be imposed on developers in each area they build to help cover costs in difficult times
I imagine the council would be only to pleased to have additional income from developers, so long as it never meant their thank you cards were less embellished
splendid colour match finish ! blends in beautifully and thankfully doesnt look like an eyesore at all.well done IR
another patchwork mess too add too all rest.
i mean tight or what.
use something more blending in fgs
Nice to see that some of the spoil from the works has ended up on the beach. Well done.
Looks like the usual shoddy bodge job that Island Roads do, with no overbanding at all. So that will all break up soon again. Just like the trench that is getting worse by the day on Old Road in East Cowes caused by their bodge job of filling in Wightfibre’s mess. Time they were held to account for this disgraceful quality of work, but that won’t happen while they inspect and approve their own work!
All done in time for the Cycling Tour of Britain in September, never mind the School Holidays or Cowes Week.
Give it a couple of years and the road will be underwater at every high tide. Then the eye sore will be gone for good.
Only taken 6mths!!! Looks like a 5min botch up as usual
Have a look at Dawlish sea defence, now that is how its done
Took so long, looks totally out of character. Not to mention the mess still left on the beach. Doesnt anyone with common sense control these builders. I would be ashamed to leave Cowes promanade looking like this.