Island Roads is reminding residents of major improvement work the Cement Mills Viaduct, a vital section of the Cowes to Newport cycletrack.

Under the work, Island Roads will replace nearly 100 panels of the viaduct’s deck. These panels are now nearing end of life and they will be replaced with new highly durable decking that is made using recycled plastics.

The seven-week project is due to begin mid-September after the main holiday season and will involve a complete closure of the structure during work.

The project itself will be undertaken by Island company DDGA who have successfully delivered many other infrastructure projects on behalf of Island Roads including the protective steel netting on the cliff face above Gills Cliff Road at Ventnor.

Dating back to Victorian times, Cement Mills Viaduct was built over Dodnor Creek as part of the original Cowes to Sandown railway line. Today it forms part of the National Cycle Network Route 23 between Reading and Sandown and locally is part of the Red Squirrel Trail.

The timing of the work has been pushed back to the Autumn following discussions with cycling group Cyclewight. The work cannot be done in the winter as some materials used in the re-decking process cannot be used in wet weather.

During work, the official diversion will be via Horsebridge Hill and Stag Lane.

Project manager George Lovelock, himself a regular commuter on the track, said: “Users of the cycle route will be aware that the current surface of the viaduct needs replacing and the new deck is highly durable and designed to offer a much-improved ride quality for years to come.

“Naturally this replacement cannot be done with the bridge open so a closure is absolutely necessary but we hope any inconvenience during the closure will be offset by the improvements the work will bring.

“We announced the work back at the beginning of the summer but are keen to keep people informed as the project start date gets closer.”

Further information about the project can be found on the Q&A document here