Drivers urged to plan ahead as key road closes

Drivers are being urged to plan ahead as a key road into a town closes for nearly two weeks.

A short section of Fairlee Road outside of Orchard House care home on the Isle of Wight closed on Monday and is set to reopen on 1 May.

It is to allow engineers to install new sewer and water connections.

Drivers are being diverted via Station Road, Whiterails Road, Staplers Road and Coppins Bridge Roundabout, with several bus services also diverted.

The council says journey times are expected to be longer during the closure.

Drivers are also urged to check the latest closure information on One Network's interactive map.

Southern Vectis routes 5, 9, 49, 59, N5 and N9 will be diverted in both directions.

Meanwhile, Medina College and 1Leisure Medina will only be accessible from Newport.

Drivers from Newport will not be able to travel through the closure to get to Racecourse Roundabout.

While traffic levels are reduced, the council will also carry out tree works at Seaclose Park.

The authority says these works are "vital to keep pedestrians and road users safe and to avoid emergency road closures over the summer".

Parts of Seaclose Park may also be temporarily inaccessible during these works.

Simon Moon, strategic director for community services, said: "We appreciate that there is never a good time to undertake work on Fairlee Road, and that these improvements coincide with SGN's gas mains replacements in Binstead.

"We encourage drivers, especially those taking their children to school at Medina College, to plan ahead, as journey times are expected to be longer."