A number of roads serving rural communities in the West Wight are due to be upgraded under the Highways PFI next month.

As part of the ongoing intense period of highway improvements, Muggleton Lane and Short Lane in Brighstone, Main Road, Thorley, Colwell Road, Totland, Kingston Road, Shorwell, and Station Road, Shalfleet are all programmed to be resurfaced in August.

The upgrade of these rural sections ties in with the contractual requirement of the PFI to upgrade roads of all type – rural and urban – at an even pace. In all, around five kilometres of these rural roads will be resurfaced and in some cases the work in August will join up sections that have already been resurfaced under the PFI.

Keith Gourlay, Island Roads construction manager, said: “In recent months we have completed work on some of the most heavily used roads, including Arreton Street, Whippingham Road, Staplers Road and Lushington Hill but alongside these we are also making upgrades to significant stretches of the rural network.

“While rural in nature, the roads to be resurfaced in August are still important to the Island’s wider network and of course to the residents who use them. We hope that any inconvenience experienced during the work will be offset by the improvements our work will bring.”

Though the programme is subject to change the current schedule is for Station Road to be upgraded between August 3 and 6, Muggelton Lane/Short Lane between August 7 and 14, Kingston Road between August 10 and 14, Main Road, Thorley, between August 17 and 20 and Colwell Road between August 18 and 27.

Further details of the work schedule will be displayed on information boards at the work sites.