Prom works could run into 2022 !
Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall has said it’s ‘impossible’ to put a completion date on the prom but works will likely go ’into next year’.
At a House of Keys sitting last week, Mr Crookall was asked by MHK for Douglas South Claire Christian when the works on the promenade would be finished.
Mr Crookall said: ‘It’s really, really awkward and difficult to put a completion date on it.
’It’s not fair for the people who have lived there, that work there, who have suffered for the last three years now to keep putting a date down and keep moving it. I don’t think it would be fair on the public.’
This marks the third minister to lead the work on the prom since work started in September 2018.
He said he was ‘hopeful’ works would be completed by the end of the year but explained it would be unlikely, despite the work being ‘about 95% complete’.
The Glenfaba and Peel MHK continued: ‘Contractually, completion of the works will be when the construction of all the works stated in the contract are done, Auldyn’s equipment is removed from the site and the final clean of the site has taken place as defined in the contract scope.
We had a date recently of November 3, already I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks since I’ve been in the department, we’ve now moved.
They’re saying probably the end of December - to me, we will be into next year for sure.’
He stated that he would ‘absolutely love’ to put a completion date on the project and say ‘happy Christmas, it’s finished’ but this is not possible.
‘I will do my very best and I might break my promise one day and say tomorrow it’s going to be completed but at the moment I can’t,’ he added.
Where standards are not met, Auldyn will be required to fix any defects found in the defect period.
Otherwise, a proportionate amount of the funding will be withheld by the DoI.
There has been an issue with the tram tracks at the bottom of Broadway which has rendered the task of deciding an end date ‘impossible’, according to Mr Crookall.
According to Tim Crookall, rail points by the roundel at the bottom of Broadway have to be replaced after concerns were raised by a rail regulator.
The tramway points have been sent to the UK to be modified before being returned and reinstalled.
Continued work on the 70-metre section of tram lines cannot take place between Broadway and Esplanade Mews until the rails are returned.
The DoI said: ‘This work will take three to four weeks and will get under way as soon as the modified points arrive on-island. The work will, however, be off the highway and have a minimal impact on traffic flow but some parking may be suspended during these works.’
Meanwhile, the infrastructure minister is waiting to be given a date to ask for funds to complete the horse tram tracks.
The minister explained the tramway is only likely to operate as far as Broadway, where it is currently, when it reopens in April 2022.
Previously it was stated that Tynwald would be asked to vote on funding to complete the track to the Sea Terminal in November.
The completion date for the work on the prom has been continually pushed back since its start date, originally intended to be completed by October 2020.”