VIDEO East Cowes diversion 'shakes houses' and blocks roads

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Traffic heading to local employer GKN, which is an engineering firm, Red Funnel's vehicle ferries, Waitrose and the Floating Bridge is being diverted through small roads and round sharp turns.

The tightness of the route has meant many parking spaces have been suspended, a pedestrian crossing has been closed and customer parking, for recovering local businesses, has been lost.

Island Roads is resurfacing York Avenue, the main route into the town, in a project that started in March.

• More in East Cowes today: Isle of Wight Floating Bridge runs aground and is out of action

The project is running over a week behind, so phase three is still underway, even though phase four has now begun.

Work between Well Road & Adelaide Grove was due to start on May 13 and run until June 2.

After putting out parking cones on Tuesday, Island Roads closed Adelaide Grove on Wednesday, at its junction with York Avenue.

The move restored some parking spaces, but residents also reported lorries ignoring the 'road closed' sign and being forced to reverse.

In the town centre, there were concerns for the safety of the schoolchildren heading to the Floating Bridge, or buses outside Waitrose, because their normal bus stop is closed.

One woman told the County Press: "They've closed off the zebra crossing, so there is nowhere for children to cross.

"They've been going up the road to find places.

"The traffic has not stopped and it's been pretty horrendous.

"There's a lot of the arctic lorries that can't make it on one go so they hold the traffic up.

"They've go two main roads closed off. Could they not do it one at a time?"

The York Avenue and Adelaide Grove junction is closed.

At a peak time yesterday (Wednesday), Red Funnel's passengers and freight, traffic from local businesses finishing for the day and the queue for the Floating Bridge combined.

One van driver who was caught up in it all said: "I've been waiting and going round and round in circles for half an hour.

"I'm pushed one way then the other. I can't get to York Avenue garage.

"It's absolutely unbelievable. I'm not happy!"

Insisting it had given residents enough notice, Island Roads said: "Information boards were placed on the affected roads on Monday and cones were put out on Tuesday, in advance of the restrictions coming into force on Wednesday.

"In order to create more parking, we have closed the junction of Adelaide Grove and York Avenue which means the previous restrictions can be lifted in Adelaide Grove, between its junction with Yarborough Road and York Avenue.

It said combining the two phases of work meant more parking space could be created.

One shop owner said he thought people trying to cross roads would be able to do it, if they timed it with the multi-way temporary lights now in place, on the junction of York Avenue and Clarence Road.

Acknowledging the work had to be done, the owner has lost customer parking for its duration.

Before Adelaide Grove was closed, on Wednesday.

Island Roads said: "Residents will know that York Avenue was in great need of improvement and the current work should provide a long-term solution by excavating and strengthening the foundations as well as resurfacing it.

"During the project, we have also been co-ordinating work with utility companies to allow them to improve their services to hopefully reduce the need for further disruptive roadworks.

"York Avenue is a busy main road and it is unfortunately inevitable that this improvement work will cause some short-term local inconvenience.

"The East Cowes community, including its local elected members, have been extremely supportive of the project and have helped us by observing the traffic restrictions which are necessary in order to maintain a safe and effective diversion route.

"We can assure residents that we are doing all we can to complete the project as soon as possible."