Widening work on major Isle of Wight road gets underway

Part of the main road into Newport from the east of the Island (between Pan and Cineworld, to Coppins Bridge) will be restricted to one lane.

Diversions will be in place for traffic entering Newport - at the roundabout where traffic turns off to Marks and Spencer and Matalan.

Motorists are warned to expect other changes too - to help manage traffic during the project.

The work is taking place just along from the busy Asda roundabout and former home of Newport FC - the site where a retail park and McDonald's drive-thru are planned.

The project will take six months.

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What are the changes?

The South Street taxi rank will be temporary relocated to Church Litten, after a last minute u-turn on the previous plans.

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The Medina Avenue/St George’s Approach junction will be closed.

Access to and from Furrlongs will generally be available, but there will be periods when access will be restricted, to allow works to take place across the junction.

Why is it happening?

The Isle of Wight Council says the works are a bid to reduce congestion in and around the town and follows up on the controversial work to change St Mary's Roundabout into a junction controlled by traffic lights.

In the project delivered by Island Roads, St George’s Way will be widened and there are plans for improved connections for buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

The plan is to remove the one-way restriction in time for the school summer holidays, before subsequent resurfacing work is carried out overnight.