Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer MHK has highlighted the huge scale of the project to redevelop Douglas Promenade.
Thousands of tonnes of materials and up to three years of working time will be needed to reconstruct the failing highway, replace the horse tram tracks and carry out improvements to the footways, drainage, junctions and pedestrian crossings.
With planning approval granted, work is scheduled to start in September to rejuvenate the area widely regarded as the ‘gateway to the Isle of Man’.
Minister Harmer said:
‘This will be the Isle of Man’s most important capital project for some time. To those who have asked how the £25 million will be spent, I would draw attention to the amount of skilled labour and raw materials needed for a scheme of this magnitude.
‘To help people visualise what’s involved, if we laid out the aggregate, concrete, paving and tarmac it would cover an area equivalent to more than 263 Premiership football pitches.’
He added:
‘This scheme will dramatically improve the state of the Promenade and provide a major boost to the Isle of Man economy, in particular the construction industry. A significant portion of the contract value, including virtually all the labour and haulage, will be supplied by the private sector.’
The quantities of the main materials to be used in the Promenade refurbishment include:
- 16,000 tonnes of aggregate
- 17,500 tonnes of tarmac
- 3,000 cubic metres of concrete
- 12,000sq metres of block paving
- 9,500 units of kerbing
- 8,500 metres of rail
- 1,100 metres of safety fencing
- 250 metres of traffic separators
The scheme will also involve up to 50 skilled construction workers and a wide range of plant and equipment.
Kate Lord-Brennan MLC, Member of the Department with responsibility for Highways, commented:
‘The structural integrity of Douglas Promenade is continuing to deteriorate.
‘The Department’s proposal will not only secure the future of one of the Island’s busiest and most important strategic routes, it will also deliver a range of social, cultural and economic benefits for the Isle of Man.’
The construction programme is expected to take up to three years to complete. A traffic management plan will be put in place to minimise disruption by maintaining two-way travel wherever possible.
