Section of Mountain Road to close again after clean-up 'unsuccessful'

DoI's efforts to tackle bitumous material spill continue

A section of the Mountain Road will close again tomorrow (1 May) as clean-up continues on the key route.

The road was shut this morning between the Creg-ny-Baa and Bungalow to allow Department of Infrastructure workers to plane off hardened bitumous material spilled by a private contractor.

In a statement, the department confirmed those efforts were unsuccessful.

As a result, the southern section of the Mountain Road (Creg Ny Baa to the Bungalow) will close from 6pm tomorrow evening (Thursday) and will remain closed overnight until no later than 6pm on Friday (2 May) for this work to be undertaken. 

The DOI says every effort will be made to get the road open 'late afternoon on Friday before the evening commuter run, but this is not guaranteed'.

It says: "Senior engineers from the Department have re-inspected the road and it has been determined that a 210-metre-long stretch of the Ramsey bound lane between Brandywell and Hailwood’s Rise has to be planed out and resurfaced in order to restore the condition of the carriageway. 

"The scope of the required work will mean that the centre-line and edge-line markings, and edge road studs will have to be taken out and reinstated as part of these works."

SANTON

To facilitate these emergency works, resurfacing at Santon on the A5 New Castletown Road will be suspended and the team redeployed to the Mountain Road. 

The traffic lights at Santon will be temporarily stood down until work can resume there next week. 

The temporary speed limit through the work site will be left in being as the road at Santon will be ramped and have a temporary surface.