Work to reduce flooding and improve the ride quality on a popular section of the Newport to Sandown cycle track at Blackwater has been completed.

It means the route between Blackwater Hollow and Birchmore Lane can now be re-opened and that the need for future closures during periods of heavy rainfall should be reduced.

The work delivered by Island Roads on behalf of the Isle of Wight Council has seen a near 80-metre section which is most prone to flooding raised and resurfaced. By raising the track using free draining material through which rainwater will better be able to percolate, the instances of flooding should be reduced.

In addition, a further 540 metres of the track has been resurfaced.

The project was originally scheduled to finish on July 12 but the recent dry weather has helped Island Roads crews make good progress.

An Island Roads spokesman 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 flooding not only made it inaccessible, it also caused damage to a long section.

“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.

“We would like to thank users of the track for their patience and co-operation during work and hope they enjoy the improved route.”

The route will be one of the first to be visited when Island Roads commences its next round of grass-cutting and verge maintenance later this month.