A serious road traffic incident on the Whitwell Road this morning (Friday) resulted in the only route in and out of Ventnor being blocked.
Reports on Ventnor’s community noticeboard said the collision (just past St Lawrence Shuet heading into Whitwell) involved a lorry and a motorcyclist and that drivers were told the wait could be 1-2 hours before they were able to move. The road reopened just before 9am.
Isle of Wight Police say the motorcyclist was taken to hospital with serious but not life threatening injuries.
Long tailbacks
There were long tailbacks of traffic in both directions with school coaches and buses caught up in the roadblock. One driver told OnTheWight they’d been stuck in the traffic since 7.20am
Emergency services were in attendance. During an emergency access is available through the Leeson Road closure, should they not be able to enter from the northbound direction.
Why only one route in and out?
Whitwell Road is the only route in and out of Ventnor due to several factors.
Leeson Road, which links Ventnor to Shanklin, was closed in December 2023 due to the Bonchurch landslide. It remains closed whilst the Isle of Wight council monitor any additional movement.
Newport Road (by the graben), which links the town with Upper Ventnor and onward to Wroxall, is currently closed due to vital sewer repair works by Southern Water. It is due to reopen on Saturday afternoon at 5pm.
Undercliff Drive was closed to through traffic in 2014 following a landslide during roadworks in two parts of the road by Island Roads. It left 11 properties landlocked and the route was reopened only to pedestrians and cyclists.
Image used for illustrative purposes only
