It should have been finished by now, and be a gateway to be proud of but work to refurbish Douglas’s promenade continues to drag on.

Having begun in September 2018, the works were due to take two years, by the time it’s all completed, it will be over four.

Despite this, Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker has told Tynwald that agreements are in place with the contractor Auldyn for an early completion bonus.

Mr Baker was asked by Speaker Juan Watterson what structure of project completion bonuses had been negotiated with contractors and how much all completion bonuses would be if the promenade work were successfully completed to the satisfaction of the Department of Infrastructure by March 31, 2021.

He revealed: ’The bonus for early completion is £2,500 per day, with a maximum bonus capped at £450,000.’

To activate the bonuses, Auldyn would have to have the work finished by January 29, nine weeks before the revised completion date. However, given the state of the work, which is known to be behind schedule again, it appears unlikely.

Mr Baker added: ’Had the project been completed on August 2 this year the contractor would have been entitled to a maximum bonus of £450,000. Clearly this did not happen.

’Under the contract the completion date can change if there is a change requested by the client or if matters outside the contractors scope delay the contractor.

’For example if additional service diversions are required to accommodate an additional water main, this would ultimately change the completion date.’

We have previously reported that he told a strategic board that he had ’expressed his overriding concern that, although the department had worked extremely hard to assist the contractor by removing as many constraints as possible, it was difficult to be confident about the contractor’s ongoing ability to deliver the programme on time’.

Minutes from that meeting revealed the scheme is again behind schedule.

They also revealed that the promised March 31 date set down for the completion of this stage of the scheme ’had principally been decided upon in order to promote the tourist season’.

While the work is due to be completed to a permissible level by March 31, other works such as the replacement horse tram tracks being laid, may not be undertaken until the winter of 2022.