An update has been provided on work to reconstruct Port St Mary High Street.

Towards the end of last year, the street was closed for around two weeks for site investigations ahead of a long-awaited reconstruction of the crumbling carriageway.

Port St Mary High Street is widely regarded as being one of the worst roads in the island.

The scheme to improve the road was due to begin in May and take 30 weeks to complete. But work has yet to start.

This prompted a question from Rushen MHK and House of Keys Speaker Juan Watterson to Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall.

Mr Watterson asked what progress has been made since October 2024 on the plans to reconstruct Port St Mary High Street.

Mr Crookall said: ‘Since October 2024, the Department has secured Project Development Funding, and used this to procure the external resources required for the scheme, including project team appointments, surveys and ground investigation works.

‘This has enabled the scheme design, and supporting documentation, to be progressed to the point at which the construction works can be advertised for tender through the Government portal.

‘As noted in the Department’s previous response in April 2026, the Department was awaiting Treasury consideration of the business case.

‘Subject to Strategic Asset and Capital Investment Committee’s approval, the full and final business case will be submitted to Treasury to seek the necessary capital funding for the scheme.’

Rushen MHK Dr Michelle Haywood planted daffodils in the potholes in protest at the road’s condition.

A previous £400,000 scheme to revamp the road was rejected in 2023.

The highway services division had put together a business case for the reconstruction in July 2021 but this was not supported by the Department of Infrastructure and so not submitted to the Treasury for consideration.