‘Red concrete being dug up after defect discovered’
“Work is underway to fix two failed welds in the horse tram tracks on Douglas promenade.
The contractor is having to dig up the red concrete in the Strathallan area after a dip in the rail track was discovered.
As a result, a section of rail on either side of the welds needs to be removed and replaced.
The Department of Infrastructure says the defect only came to light once the concrete had been installed, and will be rectified by the contractor at no additional cost to the Department.”
This is how Isle of Man Newspapers reported on the work:
Tuseday, December 8, 2020
" Part of the red concrete corridor on the Promenade has been dug up again after a track welding fault was identified.
The government’s MyProm Facebook page confirmed that two failed welds had caused a small dip in the tram track in the Strathallan area.
myPROM Facebook page - December 4, 2020
It said a section of rail either side of the welds needed to be removed and replaced - and in order to achieve this work, the red concrete surrounding the track had to be broken out. A spokesman said: ’This defect only came to light once the concrete had been installed. Defects of this nature are rectified by the contractor at no cost to the Department of Infrastructure.’
Problems with the red concrete central corridor have previously caused delays to the £25m Promenade reconstruction scheme.
Cracks in the concrete were found last July as highway chiefs admitted the scheme by that point was 10 weeks behind schedule.
A new method of construction was introduced which involved laying a steel mesh before the cement was poured - but then further cracks were found on a 200m section where this was done.
A report concluded designed flaws were to blame, and suggested asphalt should have been used instead. But the DoI insisted concrete was the ’most appropriate and cost-effective solution’.
Summerhill was closed over several evenings last week and all day yesterday (Monday) to complete the final road surface there."