In today's sitting of the House of Keys, Member for Ramsey, Dr Alex Allinson asked the Minister for Infrastructure questions regarding the closure of the Foxdale main road; as to when the road was closed, the predicted length of the road closure and the number of DoI staff allocated to the Project.
Ray Harmer MHK replied: "Significant progress has been achieved on this scheme, which will deliver long-term benefits to road users and residents in Foxdale.
Work was originally scheduled to start on 5th September 2016, immediately after the Festival of Motorcycling.
However, the start date was delayed by seven weeks to accommodate important changes to the layout of the Mines Road junction.
This late acquisition of land and the requirement to obtain planning permission for the junction improvements meant that work did not start until 24 October.
Officers from the Department informed more than 100 residents who attended a public meeting at Foxdale School Hall in June last year that the project would take approximately 9 months to complete.
The intention has always been to carry out as much work as possible ahead of the 2017 TT Festival. However, additional unplanned work and wet weather has hampered efforts to recover 7 weeks lost at the start of the scheme.
The number of the Department’s staff working on site has varied depending on the nature and complexity of the work undertaken. The number of staff on site peaked at 24. The Department has worked from both ends of the site to help reduce the duration of the closure but the restricted space left after the deep excavations have been made, has limited the number of staff that can be safely allocated to the scheme.
In closing, I would like to take the opportunity to thank residents and businesses in Foxdale for their continued patience and cooperation. People have been extremely understanding and realistic about the challenges faced on a job of this scale.
Our investment will help to regenerate the area, enhance the drainage, upgrade the utilities infrastructure and provide a highway that is capable of meeting traffic requirements throughout its design life of 40 years."
