The impact of controversial changes to the road layout on Glencrutchery Road on all routes was considered, highway chiefs insist.

A new bus/cycle lane at St Ninian’s and changes at Governor’s Bridge were introduced without warning on June 15.

Motorists have been caught up in rush hour queues backing up to beyond Corkill’s garage in Onchan.

Meanwhile, northbound traffic is routed via Governor’s Dip which has been closed to vehicles, execpt during the TT, since 1994.

The changes were designed to mitigate the effects of making Douglas Promenade one-way northbound.

In a Freedom of Information request, the Department of Infrastructure was asked when the new arrangements were agreed and whether the impact on traffic flow and other roads had been considered.

In its response, the DoI said there was no single meeting at which it was decided to make the promenade one way.

Multiple meetings took place throughout March and April to consider getting the Prom scheme completed ahead of the 2021 tourist season.

Approval for the one-way on the promenade was given by the Council of Ministers on April 30.

The new arrangements for St Ninian’s and Glencrutchery were discussed at several meetings with officers of highway services and public transport and ’agreed upon to mitigate the effect of additional traffic on this route’, the DoI said.

Traffic flows have been monitored since the new arrangements came in. Timings have been changed on the St Ninian’s lights and the filter lane was extended, the department said.

It accepted that traffic does back up at peak periods at Governor’s Dip on the approach from Onchan, but this has been the case previously as traffic from the Mountain Road had priority at the roundabout.

Pollution was considered in the overall traffic management, said the DoI, but the traffic flows remain ’broadly similar’.

It added: ’The impact on all routes was considered.

’The link roads are generally acceptable for the traffic volumes and in modelling various traffic flow scenarios can take greater capacity.’

The DoI said it has been difficult to assess flows against previous years due to the works coinciding with the Covid-19 restrictions and loss of tourist numbers.

It said: ’The choice to make these changes during the Covid-19 restriction and school holiday periods was taken to minimise the impact on the adjacent highway network.’

The DoI said it could find no record of a weight restriction ever being in place on Governor’s Dip. It said: ’Highway officers used professional judgement to assess the impact on road safety and traffic management of the proposed temporary layouts prior to installation.’