Busy route into capital to reopen early as one-way

A key route into the Isle of Man's capital from the south, closed for sewage works, is set to reopen a week earlier than planned but in one direction only.

A section of the Old Castletown Road has been shut since 9 March for the refurbishment of one of the island's largest wastewater pumping stations at White Hoe, putting extra pressure on other routes into Douglas at peak times.

Manx Utilities said while the full closure was needed to allow for manhole cover and other infrastructure replacement works, the project had progressed well and key construction stages were now complete.

That meant the road was able to reopen to one-way traffic into Douglas from Thursday morning.

The utilities provider said work being carried out involved replacing a large access cover above a deep underground valve chamber, which was part of the wastewater main between Douglas and the island's main treatment plant, Meary Veg.

The cover "must be reinstated in precisely aligned sections, with new concrete requiring controlled curing to ensure long term structural integrity", it said.

Subject to the successful curing of the concrete, the road was still on schedule to fully reopen on 25 March as planned, it added.

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