Significant progress is being achieved on the scheme that will deliver long-term benefits to road users and residents in Foxdale.
Work is taking place to reconstruct the main road through Higher Foxdale, to enhance the drainage and to upgrade the utilities infrastructure.
The major investment will help to regenerate the area and provide a highway that is capable of meeting traffic requirements throughout its design life of 40 years.
A new road closure order will be in operation from Monday 3 April until Friday 26 May, so that work can progress up to the Foxdale filling station. Temporary resurfacing of the carriageway will then take place to allow the main road to open for two weeks during the peak TT period. The road will close again on Monday 12 June to enable the remaining elements of the scheme to be completed.
The intention has always been to carry out as much work as possible ahead of the 2017 TT Festival. However, the original start date was delayed by seven weeks last autumn to accommodate important changes to the layout of the Mines Road junction.
The Department has tried to recover this time, but additional unplanned work – including the demolition of dangerous retaining walls, the removal of trees at Brookfield Terrace and changes to the installation of essential utilities – has resulted in a revision to the timetable.
Recent poor weather has also forced the construction team to re-excavate part of the drainage trench, re-lay a section of storm water pipe and install a new land drain to divert run-off away from the site.
Despite the challenges encountered, the scheme has been proceeding on two fronts simultaneously – from the Mines Road junction heading south to Costain’s Yard, and from Dove Cottage working back to the filling station. The work to date includes:
- Excavation and removal of more than 8,000 tonnes of material
- Importation and placing of more than 4,000 tonnes of unbound material
- Laying of more than 500 metres of highway drainage
- Construction of 10 manholes
- Construction of 30 road gullies
- Installation of 500m of telecom ducting
- Installation of 500m of new water main and service connections
- Installation of 500m of new gas main
- More than 3000m2 of carriageway reconstruction
- 350m of kerbing
- 350m2 of footway reconstruction
- 90m of retaining walls
- Placing of more than 500 tonnes of concrete
David Anderson MLC, Department Member with responsibility for Highway Services, said:
‘This scheme was originally scheduled to start immediately after the 2016 Festival of Motorcycling. However, an opportunity arose to acquire the land necessary to carry out major changes to the Mines Road junction. This has greatly improved the layout for motorists, but added almost two months to the pre-construction programme. While our team has pulled out all the stops to try to make up this time, it was always likely that the timetable would extend beyond the TT.’
He added:
‘The main road will reopen on a temporary basis for TT fortnight and then close again to allow the remaining work to take place from the filling station to Mines Road. We are now looking at a completion date towards the middle of August. I wish to thank local residents and businesses for their continued patience and cooperation. People have been extremely understanding and realistic about the challenges faced on a job of this scale.’
