Iconic Road may not be with us for ever

An IW councillor has warned: “Enjoy the Military Road while it is still there.”

Cllr Chris Jarman, for Totland & Colwell, took photos of the latest void which has opened up along the cliff edge by Afton Down, between Compton and Freshwater Bay, with the footpath now being closed off.

The void appeared last week after months of rain and a continued erosion of that part of the coast, bringing it worryingly closer to the edge of the road.

Cllr Jarman said: “Before I moved here 20 years ago, I had been coming to the Island since I was a child. I remember the Compton car park full with a further grass verge, but over the years it has been washed away. There isn’t the money to invest in major engineering works to defend the cliff, so we have to find another solution.

“Over the years, I have heard lots of different ideas on how to deal with the situation. These include building a sky-way to digging a tunnel; moving the road inland or diverting the road through Brook or Brighstone.

“It is a beautiful and iconic Island road, but there just isn’t the money to save it and I can’t see anyone donating £10million.

“In my opinion, the only option for the future is to reroute it. My view is that you should enjoy it while it’s still there.”

A spokesman for Island Roads said: “In around 2004, a retaining wall was built to protect the road at this location from the type of erosion we have seen over many years – and are still seeing.

“Given the nature of this site, this retaining wall was buried so it did not detract from the natural beauty. The retaining wall was designed to offer protection for the road for around 50 years.

“Island Roads monitors any land movement affecting the road at this site. This is done via two methods. Firstly, boreholes in the road are surveyed at least once a year. They were checked in October, and also again at the beginning of the year, in response to reports of a developing void. No signs of movement to the highway were detected during the January survey.

“Monitoring equipment placed on the cliff side of the road also provides hourly data. This has, not surprisingly, recorded the recent movement but, again, there is nothing to suggest an imminent danger to the highway itself.

“We will of course continue to monitor the area and will liaise closely with the IW Council to ensure all steps are taken to maintain a safe road network.”