Southern water main replacement set to begin

Ronague Road will be closed throughout the programme

A road in the south the Isle of Man is set to be closed for more than seven months while a £500,000 project to replace water main is carried out.

Manx Utilities will replace of 2.5 miles (4km) of water mains from Ballaglonney Farm in Grenaby to Ballaquinney Farm.

The authority said the works were a "priority replacement" due to the frequent burst rate of the existing infrastructure, which has been in place since 1967.

While the installation route will primarily be in fields, a road closure will apply to Ronague Road throughout the works.

A spokeswoman for the government-owned utilities provider said while residents on the road will have access to properties at all times, the closure was needed due to the width and depth of excavation required.

Other roads may also "occasionally be affected" as the work progresses, she said.

'Robust supply'

The works are part of a wider £3.5 million project to replace 12.4 miles (20km) of old water mains in the south of the island, which has been undertaken over the past five years.

The latest project, which will be the "final priority replacement" in the area at present, will "help to provide a robust supply to the south" and mean that "much less treated water is lost through repeated bursts", the spokeswoman added.

The main, which serves 3,810 customers, will be laid from Ballaglonney Farm, along Ronague Road, turning into the entrance of the field above Grenaby Farm.

It will then cross land farmed by Ballatrollag, Ballacricket, Ballagilbert, Ballaquinney and Ballaglonney.

The final connection of the main will be made at Ballaglonney Farm.