Balthane junction works to be completed in 2026

Tim Crookall said the department had a target completion date of April 2026

A junction in the south of the Isle of Man linking a new housing estate to the main road is set to be completed in 2026, the infrastructure minister has said.

Revised plans for a four arm roundabout at Balthane Junction, to connect to the new Ballasalla bypass created for a 282 home Dandara estate, were submitted in early 2022.

Tim Crookall said while the budget had been approved for the land purchase and construction, due to presence of coal tar in the existing roundabout more funding was now needed.

The extra costs would be used to appoint a specialist consultant on the treatment of hazardous substance, he added.

Crookall told the House of Keys land agreements "for the final parcel of land" remained in progress between the department and Malew commissioners.

He said the work would be tendered and a construction programme agreed once the funding was agreed, so while the department had a target of April 2026, there was "no definitive date" for the completion.

'Last few yards'

Jason Moorhouse MHK said the presence of coal tar had been mentioned before Christmas last year, and questioned why funding submissions had not already been made.

But Crookall said the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) was "close to sorting it out".

Work for the roundabout and the "last few yards" of the bypass was being undertaken by the department, and the bypass was the responsibility of Dandara, he added.

In a recent written response, the minister said while Dandara had substantially completed work for the first of two phases for the bypass, remaining work had no completion date as there was "no commercial value" for the developer to complete the section.

In a statement, Dandara said it had "completed the bypass" up to the site boundary with the roundabout, but had had "no indication" from the DOI when it would complete its works at the junction.