Motorists face disruption after main road closure

Motorists have faced long delays following the closure of the main road between Newport and Cowes on the Isle of Wight for roadworks.

Horsebridge Hill, on the edge of Newport has been closed to support the construction of 203 new homes at Acorn Farm. Tailbacks have been reported on the diversion route along Forest Road.

The Cowes floating bridge began crossings an hour earlier than usual at 05:30 BST to help with connections to the Red Funnel vehicle ferry.

Local businesses have previously complained about the impact the closure has had on trade.

A diversion of more than nine miles (14km) due to roadworks was reinstated earlier this week after being lifted for the duration of the Isle of Wight Festival.

The road is due to remain closed to northbound traffic until 7 July and will also be closed in both directions for the remainder of this weekend and next.

Isle of Wight Council previously said the diversion and one-way system, which exempts emergency vehicles and daytime buses, was needed to prevent long traffic delays between Newport and Cowes.

In a statement, the authority added: "Isle of Wight Council, Island Roads and Captiva are working together to ensure that the works are completed in as short a time a possible to minimise the disruption."

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