Covid: Douglas Promenade revamp hit by fresh setback

Work on the promenade has been halted by the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions

Coronavirus lockdown restrictions on the Isle of Man will lead to a further delay to the completion of the main phase of the Douglas Promenade revamp, the infrastructure minister has said.

The construction sector was forced to shut down last Friday following a surge in new Covid-19 cases on the island.

The £26m project has suffered several delays due to "complex" utilities under the road and the impact of the virus.

Tim Baker said completion of the main phase had now "slipped" into August.

Originally due to be completed in October 2020, the project had faced "some challenges, some of which have been internal to the project and some of which have been external", he said.

"Clearly, as no work can take place, the contractor's timescales will have slipped beyond the end of July, certainly into August depending on how long the shutdown lasts," he added.

Tynwald would be asked to approve the final instalment of the scheme in November, he said.

That work, which would include the completion of two roundabouts and the extension of the horse tram tracks, is due to be carried out during the winter months.