The Department of Infrastructure (DoI) has confirmed there are ‘no foreseen issues for the upcoming MGP and Classic TT’ - despite a three-mile section of the Mountain Road being scheduled for major works later this year at the request of race organisers.

That’s despite questions being raised by some race fans about why the works are considered essential before TT 2026 but not before this month’s events.

The work, which DoI Minister Dr Michelle Haywood has described as ‘vital for road safety’, will see the stretch between Creg ny Baa and Brandywell Corner closed for five weeks from Monday, September 15. Two new surface water culverts will be installed - one below Kate’s Cottage and another just south of Keppel Gate - with around 350 metres of carriageway fully resurfaced and re-lined.

It is the same section where water leaked across the road at Brandywell Corner in May, shortly before the TT, following resurfacing earlier that month. That resurfacing was carried out after a private contractor accidentally spilled bituminous adhesive. At the time, the DoI said ‘no issues were detected’, but surface water later began seeping from the edge of the new tarmac, prompting urgent repairs.

Dr Haywood has confirmed that Auto Cycle Union (ACU) Events, which organises the TT, MGP and Classic TT, specifically requested the latest works be completed before TT 2026. She also said the stretch had been the location of five crashes resulting in injuries over the past three years.

Some contributors to public TT and MGP online forums have questioned whether the surface is suitable for racing before the repairs, with comments describing it as ‘uneven’ and ‘too dangerous’. During this year’s TT, some fans referred to the newly tarmacked section as a ‘speed bump’.

One of the most prominent voices in the paddock, Isle of Man TT rider Dominic Herbertson - known as ‘Dom the Bomb’ - also discussed the surface in a lap filmed by a camera mounted onboard his bike which was recorded on open roads after this year’s event and posted online. Approaching Brandywell, he told viewers: ‘I want you to feel the bump just before the apex. This is what a lot of the riders were complaining about [at TT 2025].’ Shortly after the Bungalow, he added: ‘Now wait for this bump - it’s all the way through the corner!’

Isle of Man Today asked the DoI two weeks ago to explain its position. In a statement, a spokesperson said: ‘As racing does not take place in wet conditions, there have been no issues during TT 2025 and there are no foreseen issues for the upcoming MGP and Classic TT for 2025 which cannot be managed by the racing organisers.’

Seven days ago, a follow-up question was sent to the department asking specifically why racing could go ahead in August when work is required on the same section before TT 2026. No further response has yet been received.

The DoI said the work had originally been planned for spring but was delayed by a breakdown at its asphalt plant. The autumn closure was chosen, the department said, to allow the new surface to bed in before the 2026 races, make use of suitable weather and daylight, and avoid disruption during the peak summer visitor season.

Dr Haywood said: ‘We apologise for any disruption this might cause motorists, but I am sure that everyone appreciates that it is essential that we should put safety first. I’d like to thank motorists for their patience and understanding while we carry out these important improvements.’