Carriageway undermined by landslips is being stabilised on the Isle of Wight by new highways operator Island Roads, at the start of a seven year programme of core infrastructure improvement. Residents of the coastal town of Ventnor have wonderful views out to sea but some highly challenging roads to negotiate. Undercliff Drive is a particular test for even the most competent motorist with numerous rises, dips and sharp bends over a length of several kilometres. In recent years journeys have become even more hazardous as carriageway has started to break up and slide slowly sideways down a steep hill towards the sea. In a six week period last winter Undercliff Drive moved by as much as 100mm, leading the Isle of Wight Council to bring forward a planned improvement scheme. It called on its new private finance highways operator Island Roads to develop a package of geotechnical work and carriageway rebuild - even though the company had yet to officially start a 25 year contract to manage and maintain the island's highway network.
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