An essential section of the Newport to Sandown cycle track at Blackwater has been revamped to improve ride quality and curb flooding.

The upgrade, undertaken by Island Roads on the Isle of Wight Council's behalf, means the stretch between Blackwater Hollow and Birchmore Lane can now be reopened.

The likelihood of future closures during heavy rainfall periods is expected to decrease.

The most flood-prone 80-metre section was uplifted and resurfaced using freely draining material to minimise waterlog instances.

Additionally, another 540 metres of the track were also resurfaced.

Work from Island Roads crews, aided by recent dry weather, resulted in the project finishing ahead of its original completion date of July 12.

A spokesperson for Island Roads said: "As users of this route will know, during periods of heavy rainfall the track became difficult to use or indeed impassable because adjacent ponds overflowed across it.

"This work is designed to improve the ride quality along the whole section and also, by increasing the height and improving the drainage at the worst affected area, reduce the amount of time the track is out of use."