Major Isle of Wight update on landslip hit Leeson Road

The decision follows assessment of recent data supplied by increased monitoring, and also with an agreement of a series of steps to help ensure the safety of road users.

Since the installation of the first phase of monitoring equipment at Leeson Road data shows ongoing low-level movement in a few places around the landslip area.

However, the Isle of Wight Council says it is very much aware of the impact the closure of Leeson Road has had on Ventnor residents and businesses.

The local authority says it has been working hard to achieve an approach which allows the road to open during the summer holiday period by taking steps that reduce the risk to road users down to a level the authority and Island Roads can accept.

This approach includes safety measures such as restricting access to one lane by using traffic lights and having a team on site to carry out regular visual checks to ensure the road remains safe to use.

Leeson Road, Ventnor. (Image: Isle of Wight Council.)

Immediate action could then be taken to close the road should movement occur.

This is in conjunction with the drier summer period when the risk of landslip activity is known to reduce.

On this basis, the road will be re-opened at 10am tomorrow (Wednesday, July 17), and will operate under the controls outlined above until 10pm on Sunday, September 8.

From September 9, the road closure will allow the drilling of three 85-metre boreholes.

These allow Island Roads to understand the nature of the underlying geology in the area and also allow the additional monitoring equipment to be installed deep underground.

The data gathered from these devices will add to what is already being collected, and will assist in creating an early warning system pivotal to the intended safe re-opening of Leeson Road and its longer-term management.

If the borehole work is not ready to start on September 9, then the Leeson Road arrangement will stay in place until such time that the boreholes are ready to be drilled.

From left: Cllr Ed Blake, Michelle Love, Tash Dix, Cllr Phil Jordan, Cllr Rodney Downer and Cllr Julie Jones Evans (Image: IWCP)