# Isle of Wight road surfaces



## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

We've been staying on the Southlands CC Site on the Island for the last four days.

We've had a good time and seen some beautiful and interesting places but the roads, in general' are absolutley diabolical. We came across one newly re-tarmaced stretch this afternoon and both sighed 'what a relief'.

The local Director of Roads needs putting up against a wall an shooting as he's obviously not been doing his job for the last ten years.

For an island that lives on holiday travel it is abysmal.

We're going to have to get our fillings checked when we get home and we've nearly ruined a tyre several times on juttong out drain ironware. 

If you value your waterproof seams on your coachbuilt don't come to Wight next year.

SDDDDDDDDDDA :lol:


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## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

Wight isnt the only place SDA.........

Near me here in Byfleet, Transco have been laying a new main - practically between Byfleet and Chobham....all along the highway.

Now you would think that it wouldnt be difficult to fill in the trench and roller a smooth tarmac surface along it would you? Not a chance!!! The resulting 'new' surface is like a washboard......not too noticeble in my car but with the 'van I have to drive with the nearside wheels almost in the gutter. It is so bad that i too am worried that the furniture would shake itself loose!!!

Honestly - road surfacing in this country is a joke!!! The M4 is dreadful.

I really dread getting off the ferry back from France and having to face the journey up the M20. Even my step-son, who doesnt yet drive and has only just come to live with us from France, commented (on the M20) about the state of the highway.

What ARE we paying Road Fund Licence (HA HA) for????

rant over
carl


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## Redbeard (Dec 23, 2008)

*isle of wight, road surfaces*

ive just got back today with a 4" hairline crack on the curve on the passenger side i hope its only minor. the body shop will no doubt tell me on monday


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## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

The roads are better now than they were 35 years ago on the I.O.W

steve & ann. ---------------- teensvan


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

teensvan said:


> The roads are better now than they were 35 years ago on the I.O.W
> 
> steve & ann. ---------------- teensvan


Maybe S&A but the US have put men on the moon, traffic is zillions more and they should be trying to gain praise for brilliant roads so holiday makers feel inclined to return. Roads fit for donkeys and carts won't do in 2009.

SDA


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

We spent a couple of weeks there last year.
I'ts the only time we wished that we still had a caravan allowing us stress free sight seeing in a car!!!


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## ramblingon (Jul 15, 2009)

Was in the IOW last month, remember thinking " not a place for the larger motor home" such tight turns and narrow roads, but nice to visit in a small campervan.


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## sweetie (Nov 28, 2005)

Went to I O W four years ago roads disgusting, the hedges so over grown the bus drivers threatened to go on strike. We cut our holiday short fed up with dragging van along hedges, everywhere you went was a ripoff.

Steve


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Andy

You will know what I am on about :wink:

Are you getting any :sunny: ?

Hope we did not leave you any Wasps. :roll:

:lol: :lol:


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## Mikemoss (Sep 5, 2005)

It's not just the IoW, it's pretty much most of Hampshire as well. We too were at Southlands earlier this month (five brilliant days of weather and a great time) and on the way back we travelled home across the county divide between Hampshire and Wiltshire. The difference in road surface, on exactly the same road, was like night and day.

Yes, the roads on the Island are far from brilliant but some of them do seem to have improved in the past few years. Current MH with Al-Ko chassis copes with them much more smoothly than the previous 'van, and we didn't find the width of the roads too much trouble - if a bus can use them, then we surely can too.


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

I am sure I heard somewhere that we have had over 10 years of boom. How come the roads were never mended during that boom and now; how can they be mended now we are bust.

I went to the IOW for four days early summer albeit in a car and not once did I consider there were bad road surfaces and all I saw was neat and tidy hedgerows. I was left with the opinion that it was clean and tickety boo.

Even the ferry was not such a rip off as a previous visit in the eighties.


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

SandJ said:


> Andy
> 
> You will know what I am on about :wink:
> 
> ...


Hi Snadj,

We got 4 beautifully :hotsun: :hotsun: :hotsun: days out of 6 which is good in late Septembre.

Got back a few hours ago and we now have full fat broadband at ouir new abode thank goodness.

Not many wasps about but quite a few waspy planes at both Bembridge and the IoW International Airport (with grass runway) :lol:

Had a mooch round the windmill (no dogs allowed), a stroll on Ryde Esplanade (no dogs allowed on beach until Thursday :roll: ).

Went to Ventnor and Totland to relive old times and the garlic farm just down the road from Southlands which is a rip off pricewise. Beautifull Highland cattle though, including a half grown calf. Southlands is closing shortly to have £2m spent on it to bring it to current CC standards.

Had a ride on the Haven Street Steam Railway and recalled an earlier visit 20 years ago. It's weird seeing old things there that weren't there when we went before.

Best place without doubt are the gorgeous NT gardens at Mottistone.

We met some really lovely people and had a great break. It's a shame they can't put even a semi-smooth surface on their roads.

And I know what you mean EJB, even our Compact (which is 6" narrower than a normal motorhome and only 6m long) wouldn't fit in some car parks and we abandoned visits to some places 'cos we couldn't get parked. Think what it must be like in high season.

SDA


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## aido (May 17, 2005)

Steamdrivenandy said:


> We've been staying on the Southlands CC Site on the Island for the last four days.
> 
> We've had a good time and seen some beautiful and interesting places but the roads, in general' are absolutley diabolical. We came across one newly re-tarmaced stretch this afternoon and both sighed 'what a relief'.
> 
> ...


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

The IoW has n 'trunk' roads so all road maintenance and funding is from local government.

Its not a big island in living and working there for 16 years I never found the need to go faster than the roads allowed. Lets face it even if you stayed below 30mph the extra time to travel from one end to the other wouldn't be much.

From time to time there are calls for a blanket 40mph speed limit throughout the IoW.


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

sallytrafic said:


> The IoW has n 'trunk' roads so all road maintenance and funding is from local government.
> 
> Its not a big island in living and working there for 16 years I never found the need to go faster than the roads allowed. Lets face it even if you stayed below 30mph the extra time to travel from one end to the other wouldn't be much.
> 
> From time to time there are calls for a blanket 40mph speed limit throughout the IoW.


I think they must've put off a lot of roads maintenance 'til after the main holiday season. We came across countless road closures this week and often what TomTom said would be a 15 minutes journey across half the island became half an hour around a tiresome diversion.

There aren't too many spots where it's possible to overtake on the island and we noticed that when you came to a straightish piece of road with no traffic from the opposite directions the local white van and 4x4 pick up drivers were overtaking like men possessed. We also noticed that the verges of most lanes looked very worn and dusty where traffic had squeezed past each other over the edge of the tarmac. Also beware the 3pm phenomenon when cars appear to multiply out of all proportion as mums collect their little dears from school. I know it happens all over the country but it appears worse on Wight.

SDA


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

SDA when they close the roads they really close them. I was always amazed to read the road closures in the local paper. Months at a time, then when they finally opened just a few potholes filled.


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## nipperdin (Oct 28, 2007)

*Isle of Wight roads*

Our van, an Autocruise Starspirit, has quite a long overhang.
What are the ramps like getting on/off the Isle of Wight ferries?
Either Portsmouth or Southampton.
We have already encountered grounding problems with our rear bar when there have been changes in the angle of road surfaces eg coming out of a garage forecourt or a car park.
Thanks.


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

*Re: Isle of Wight roads*



nipperdin said:


> Our van, an Autocruise Starspirit, has quite a long overhang.
> What are the ramps like getting on/off the Isle of Wight ferries?
> Either Portsmouth or Southampton.
> We have already encountered grounding problems with our rear bar when there have been changes in the angle of road surfaces eg coming out of a garage forecourt or a car park.
> Thanks.


Unfortunately we haven't got a large overhang (ducky) so it never crossed my mind when we went over Portsmouth/Fishbourne although both terminals have the adjustable ramps to allow for the tide etc. I was impressed by the professionalism of the embarkation teams on both sides so a quick word with them and I'm sure they'd see you right.

Soton we've not used for 20 years so can't comment.

HTH

SDA


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## lalala (Aug 13, 2009)

We haven't been to the Isle of Wight but the worst roads we have seen in years of travelling were not in the UK but this autumn in France, Department 04, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. I did put a post on about them but no-one really agreed with me. However we still say they were worse than anything in the UK.
All the best for New Year
lala


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