These images show what the ’gateway to the Isle of Man’ might look in the future.

They have been supplied by the Department of Infrastructure to illustrate its proposed changes Douglas’s promenade.

The scheme, which is due to cost the taxpayer £20 million, will start in September if it gets planning approval.

It will take three years to complete.

The DoI submitted its planning application this week. It had originally intended to do so in October.

The application features a new design for the southern section of the promenade to improve traffic flow, junctions and footpaths.

The northern end, from Broadway, will be developed on a simple, like-for-like basis.

The scheme, backed by Tynwald in the summer, also includes the creation of a cultural area around the Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre. This is in line with the ’Douglas masterplan’ and will connect the promenade with the town centre regeneration.

Work is required to address the promenade’s crumbling infrastructure and will involve the full-depth excavation and reconstruction of the failing highway and drainage, as well as the installation of new water and gas mains and ducting.

The horse tram tracks will be re-laid to reflect the design principle agreed by Tynwald, with twin tracks retained in the centre of the road from the terminal at Strathallan to a point just north of the Broadway junction. They will then cross to the seaward side of the highway and switch to a single track terminating alongside the Bottleneck car park.

The promenade proposals were recently on public display in the Sea Terminal and the DoI says they were welcomed when it hosted a presentation for members of the business and hospitality sectors, third sector organisations and others directly impacted by the redevelopment.

Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer MHK said: ’The submission of the planning application is a further significant milestone towards our vision for the future of Douglas Promenade.

’I believe the department’s proposal offers a solution that will benefit the people and the economy of the Isle of Man for generations to come.’

He added: ’The promenade is one of the island’s busiest and most important strategic routes, but also the worst in terms of its overall condition. Our scheme will not only reconstruct the highway, but also give the whole area a massive lift and reinforce the Isle of Man’s position as a special place to live and work.’

Plans to revamp the promenade have undergone a number of false starts as different schemes were proposed.

The total final cost of the scheme, including the money already spent on the completed phase one of the project, works out at about £24.7m.

If planning approval is provided for the scheme, a contractor will be appointed and a detailed construction programme drawn up.

About £2.2m was spent on aborted elements of scrapped earlier designs.

Originally, the horse tram tracks were to be relocated to the side of the road throughout their length. But concern over the loss of parking led to a plan to move them onto the walkway.

That plan was scrapped, as was an ill-judged ’shared space’ design where there were no conventional crossings and cars and pedestrians would have equal right of way.

While the government dithered about what to do with the promenade, the state of the road surface deteriorated significantly, and it was riddled with potholes, leading to a lot of complaints.

When he was appointed minister, Mr Harmer ordered that the road surface should be skimmed to improve the ride quality.