Road outside Manx National Sports centre closed for three months

A section of a busy through road in the Isle of Man’s capital is set to be closed for three months for drainage works to reduce the risk of flooding.

Groves Road has been closed between the entrance and exit to the National Sports Centre (NSC) to allow for new gullies to be installed.

The works come after it was identified that the existing drainage would not be sufficient in the event of extreme weather events.

In April, heavy rainfall causing the levels of the River Douglas to rise meant the NSC needed to close to put up flood defences.

Those defences were put installed at the facility after it was badly flooded during a spell of heavy rain on the island in December 2015.

The works, which will involve excavation and road resurfacing undertaken by Paul Carey and Sons, will begin on Thursday, is set to run until the end of January.

The project will also include the addition of more accessible bus curbs and the refurbishment of the road crossing.

The Department of Infrastructure said vehicular access to all businesses in the vicinity will be maintained, but some diversions to bus routes servicing the south of the island are in place.

For bus services from the island’s capital to Port Erin, there will be alternative stops at the Douglas Golf Club and at the Springfield Avenue junction, with the routes diverted to Alder Road, Springfield Road and onto the Old Castletown Road.

From Port Erin to Douglas, services have been diverted via Quarterbridge and Peel Road, with alternative stops at Harcroft Meadows and Peel Road.