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Roadworks with 14km detour return after festival

Emily Hudson & Marcus White
BBC News, Isle of Wight
BBC A blue car passes a construction site with two workers in orange jackets. In the foreground are a traffic cone and a green plastic barrier.BBC
A one-way traffic system is being reimposed at Horsebridge Hill

A nine-mile (14km) traffic diversion due to roadworks that traders have blamed for a dip in business is being reinstated after a week-long hiatus.

Horsebridge Hill, on the edge of Newport, Isle of Wight, was temporarily reopened in both directions during the Isle of Wight Festival.

The road is due to remain closed to northbound traffic until 7 July for roadworks to support the construction of 203 new homes at Acorn Farm.

Isle of Wight Council said there was "no requirement for parties responsible for temporary roadworks to provide compensation for any inconvenience caused".

A man in a cream cap and checked shirt stands outside a corrugated iron building with entrance behind him
Steve Taylor from The Wight Military & Heritage Museum said he feared for its future

Steve Taylor from The Wight Military & Heritage Museum said takings were down 25% since the work started in May.

He said: "We just are struggling already because it's been a pretty rough winter.

"Unless we have an exceptionally good summer, I fear for our survival during next winter."

Alan Stay from Stag Lane Motors said he had lost thousands of pounds in turnover.

He said: "Every time we have to recover a bus or dustcart, we then have to make the huge detour just to get back to our base.

"This not only adds extra time but fuel and cost to every job we do".

Previously, Matthew Westwood, landlord of the Stag Inn, said he experienced three days with only two customers through the door.

Isle of Wight Council Image shows diversion routes, red for the seven mile diversion, blue for southbound traffic on Horsebridge hill and yellow for local traffic.Isle of Wight Council
The diversion for northbound traffic adds up to 14km (nine miles) to journeys

Isle of Wight Council said the diversion and one-way system, which exempts emergency vehicles and daytime buses, would be back in place by 06:00 BST.

It said the system was needed to prevent long traffic delays between Newport and Cowes.

In a statement, the authority added: "Isle of Wight Council, Island Roads and Captiva are working together to ensure that the works are completed in as short a time a possible to minimise the disruption.

"There is no requirement for parties responsible for temporary roadworks to provide compensation for any inconvenience caused."

The road is due to be closed in both directions over the next two weekends.

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