TT course change 'makes sense', says commissioners chairman

Tue, 10 Nov 2020

The chairman of Braddan Commissioners says it ‘makes sense’ to re-route the historic TT course and benefit both residents and businesses.

He first made the suggestion last year, however, has repeated the comments following recent discussions in the House of Keys about improving the TT access road.

Andrew Jessopp claims patients attending hospital appointments are among those who are inconvenienced when roads around the course are closed.

And he’s also disputed comments made by the infrastructure minister that plans to build tunnels and flyovers are ‘radical’.

“No, they’re not [radical]”, Mr Jessopp said.

“The idea of a flyover was mooted ten, 15, 20 years ago and dismissed on [the] basis of cost. Underpasses are certainly something that I’ve been suggesting for quite a number of years; that they ought to be considering an underpass at St Ninian’s.”

That is one of six ideas put forward by the Department of Infrastructure, but Mr Jessopp believes there is an easier solution that hasn’t yet been discussed.

“[Re-routing the TT course] when you look at it logically does make some sense.

“It’s not just residents that are being inconvenienced, it’s also obviously a lot of people that are trying to get to hospital appointments, but it’s a lot of businesses as well that are, for several weeks of the year, having to change their plans.”

Despite his comments, Mr Jessopp is aware that wherever the TT course is situated on the Island, there will always be some who lose out.

“Certainly that is the case. When it comes to people setting up new businesses or moving into new houses, again it should be caveat emptor.

“The races have been going for over a hundred years, therefore people should be well aware of the history that there are road closures on the Isle of Man for motorsport.”

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