Isle of Wight Council press release:

Work to create an upgraded shared use route between The Riverside Centre and Mews Lane in Newport is progressing well.

The scheme is part of the Isle of Wight Council’s ongoing work to encourage greater use of cycling and walking by creating high quality shared-use paths.

The project is being carried out by Island Roads using money the council has been awarded through the government’s Active Travel 2 and Local Transport Plan programmes.

The first phase of the work between Mews Lane and Halberry Lane — which is the longest phase both in terms of length of footpath upgraded and duration — is complete and phase two (Halberry Lane to Gordon Road) is on track to finish at the end of November.

As work on the second phase draws to an end, work will begin on the third section — between Gordon Road and the junction of St Paul’s View/Victoria Road — on Monday November 29. This means that for a short time, there will be work on both phases two and three.

On completion of the third phase in late December, the scheme will take a pause in order to tie in work on the final phase — St Paul’s View/Victoria Road to The Riverside Centre — with the scheme to upgrade the traffic lights and pedestrian crossings at Coppins Bridge and its approaches.

Therefore, coinciding with the Coppins Bridge work on the Fairlee Link Road, the last phase will commence on Monday February 21 with a planned completion date of Friday March 11.

This will mean that the temporary pedestrian crossing facilities at the junctions of Fairlee Road and Hillside, and Link Road and Fairlee Road, will be the only traffic control in this vicinity during work.

Councillor Phil Jordan, Cabinet member for infrastructure, said: “I am glad this project is progressing well – the completed sections are looking excellent and will provide great encouragement for people to take active travel options.

“The decision to coincide the final phase with the signal work at Coppins Bridge is also a logical one as it will reduce the overall traffic management required in the area.”