Despite what you may have read in lesser organs, planned roadworks
which could have seen a major change to the TT course have been
scrapped, says Roger Willis of Dealer News.
The Isle of Man Government's Department of Transport has
backed off from a funding request to the Island's parliament Tynwald
to carry out work on the section between Signpost Corner and
Glencrutchery Road, completely eliminating a traditional stretch of
the course. The proposals would have seen a completely new road on a
different line created from The Nook to Governor's Bridge. The old
section would have been landscaped and grassed over. The DoT argued
that the existing road is too narrow for current traffic and the
approach to the Governor's Bridge roundabout is not sufficient.
However, the announcement that the section between The Nook and
Governor's Bridge would be abandoned sparked anger among TT fans and
was also attacked by leading Manx politicians during a sitting of
Tynwald on 17 October. They took the view that the whole scheme was a
gross waste of money and would actually do nothing to improve traffic
flow. In the face of such aggressive opposition, the DoT request for
funding was then quietly withdrawn.
