MOTORISTS on the Isle of Wight are being advised to expect delays on Whippingham Road near East Cowes and its approaches today (Sunday).

The road is being improved by Island Roads as part of its Islandwide surface dressing programme.

The work is required to ensure Whippingham Road maintains safe and skid resistant.

READ MORE: Roadworks on major Island route serving ferries causing traffic jam

Though the work process will be quicker than other re-surfacing methods, some delays are inevitable — particularly given the absence of any alternative routes into East Cowes.

Island Roads has scheduled work for today to avoid commuter and school run traffic.

The work is also being phased to reduce disruption.

For more details about the Island Roads works

For further details about Island Roads' surface dressing programme, go to the ‘current works’ tab on its website via this LINK

The work will be undertaken using a slow-moving vehicle, which lays bitumen and stone chippings as it travels and, will treat half the road width at a time, to allow traffic to use the other half.

Traffic will be controlled by traffic lights, then moved through the site at low-speed in a convoy system, for site safety.

This means that during the first section of the work, between The Racecourse Roundabout and Old East Cowes Road, there will likely be congestion on the approaches to Whippingham Road (The Racecourse and Lushington Hill) as well as in Whippingham Road itself.

This phase of work is expected to be completed between 8am and 10:30am, during which traffic heading between Newport and Wootton/Binstead/Ryde is advised to take a diversion route which will be advertised.

As work progresses into East Cowes, then the queues should be contained in Whippingham Road leaving traffic in the surrounding areas moving freely.

An Island Roads spokesperson said: “It is important that this work is done, because of the need to maintain a safe surface on what is a very busy road.

"Unfortunately there is never a ‘right time’ to do the work, as it will inevitably cause some inconvenience.

“We can’t risk doing it overnight because the warmer daytime temperatures are needed to assist the process, but we hope that doing it on a Sunday will help reduce disruption.

“We would advise motorists to avoid the area if they can today — particularly between 8am and 10:30am — and to leave additional time for journeys if travel through this area is necessary.”

Please note these works begin after the start of the main Walk the Wight event.

However, people wishing to travel to attend the short walk, are among those who should allow extra time for their journey.

Southern Vectis buses will continue to serve East Cowes during the work and Red Funnel has also been informed.