Thanks to Emma Goldring, Clerk Bembridge Parish Council, for this latest update from the Parish Council. Ed
One way traffic restrictions and a 2.5 mile diversion through Yaverland was imposed on 16th September 2014 and is likely to be in place until the end of the first quarter of 2015.
The barriers that were in place had deteriorated to an unsafe condition. New safety requirements were brought in following the rail disaster that requires the temporary barriers to be placed on the bridge to take the impact. This means that oncoming traffic cannot see over the bridge if vehicles are approaching.
Update from the council
Cllr Mike Tarrant, Cllr Barry Dyer and Mrs Emma Goldring (Parish Clerk) attended a meeting with Kevin Burton at Island Roads on Wednesday 19th November and the following information was given.
The schedule 32 agreements that were meant to be completed by the Isle of Wight Council before Island Roads took over were not complete and Marshcombe Shute is one of those.
The Isle of Wight Council needs to acquire land either side of the bridge from Ryde School and a private individual, plus permission from Rail Track to install the new barriers that are required.
Island Roads hadn’t received an instruction to commence these works from the Isle of Wight Council (at the stage of the meeting).
Timeline
The closure has been in place for over two months and it will take a minimum of eight weeks to get the Highway Adoption Agreement signed.
The date given as the end of the first quarter of 2015 is also looking unlikely bearing in mind this timescale doesn’t include land acquisitions and permission from Railtrack. The physical works could be done within 28 days carried out by Island Roads subcontractors, Vinci.
Island Roads have designed the scheme, but cannot implement anything without instruction from the Isle of Wight Council.
Consent given for work to go-ahead
An officer from the Isle of Wight Councils contract management team has given his consent on 25th November for Island Roads to progress the design for the vehicle restraint system and any land dedications that may be required.
Isle of Wight Council will also have to acquire the land. This is not something Island Roads would do.
Temporary traffic lights cannot be installed as it would back up traffic too close to the junction. Four way temporary traffic signals are not practical as the head in Marshcombe Shute would have to be so far back that the inter-green would result in significant delays on all approaches.
Appeal for two way traffic
Bembridge Parish Council is working closely with the local ward Councillors, Cllr Gordon Kendall and Cllr Jonathan Bacon for a resolution and will continue lobbying Island Roads and the Isle of Wight Council to reopen Marshcombe Shute for two way traffic flow.
Image: © Google Streetview
