Isle of Man Mountain Road to close for seven weeks for TT repairs

The road will be closed from Ramsey to the Bungalow throughout the works

A major route on the Isle of Man is to close for seven weeks to allow for preparations ahead of the TT races.

The A18 Mountain Road will be closed from 28 February to 15 April.

Works include the reconstruction of the highway and footpath at Stella Maris, line painting, surface repairs and the installation of TT signage.

The works were originally scheduled to start in August last year but were put on hold after objections were raised by businesses and the public.

The road is a busy commuter route between Ramsey in the north and the island's capital, Douglas.

The road closure will facilitate the reconstruction of the road at Stella Maris

The road will be closed between Ramsey and the Bungalow for the duration of the project, with an additional stretch from the Bungalow to the Creg-ny-Baa shut between 09:15 and 16:00 GMT on weekdays from 4 April.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said the works were "necessary to ensure the highway continues to be fit for purpose" and "ensure that this year's TT races can go ahead".

He said the works could not be done later in the year because there was "a period that you've got to do it, and leave it, before the racing, and let it settle in".

"Hopefully, if the weather's good, the guys will get up there, get the work done and get off the mountain as quickly as possible, and we can get back to normal," he added.