Ventnor’s ‘Graben’ To Close For Essential Roadworks

Island Roads has confirmed that Newport Road in Ventnor, including the stretch known locally as The Graben, will close next month for essential improvement works.

The road will be shut from Monday 20 October to Wednesday 22 October, with the closure in place at all times.

The project has been timed to avoid the busy summer season and to fall within the school half-term, meaning school transport will not be affected.

According to the current schedule, crews will spend the first two days working on The Graben before carrying out improvements on another section of Newport Road between Lowtherville Road and Down Lane on the third day.

The Graben, named after the geological fault line that runs beneath it, has long been affected by movement causing an uneven surface and cracking.

Island Roads says multiple interventions are required over the course of the PFI contract to keep the route safe.

An Island Roads spokesperson said:

“Everyone in Ventnor knows that more work is needed to keep The Graben safe for road users.

"While it is impossible not to cause some disruption, we hope that by doing this work outside of both the summer season and school term time we can keep inconvenience to a minimum.”