£575,000 Sunk Island Road improvement scheme to begin in Holderness

East Riding of Yorkshire Council will invest £575,000 in resurfacing, structural repairs and drainage improvements along Sunk Island Road, with work beginning later this month.

An eight-week programme of road improvements is set to begin on a rural Holderness route connecting Ottringham and Sunk Island.

The scheme will cover Sunk Island Road between its junction with the A1033 Keyingham Road in Ottringham and Brick Road in Sunk Island. Sections of the route will close to through traffic while the work is carried out, although access to homes and businesses will be maintained wherever possible.

In brief:

• The £575,000 scheme will begin on Monday 28 September and is expected to take up to eight weeks.
• Work will include resurfacing, structural patching, strengthening road edges and minor footpath and drainage refurbishments.
• Sections of Sunk Island Road will close to through traffic, with a signed diversion in place.

Holderness road improvement includes resurfacing and structural repairs

East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s own road maintenance team will deliver the scheme, with work taking place during the daytime.

The programme includes resurfacing sections of the carriageway and carrying out structural patching where required. Road edges will also be strengthened in preparation for surface dressing at a later date.

Surface dressing involves applying stone chippings to the carriageway to seal and protect its surface. The council said the later treatment would help guard the road against potholes.

Minor improvements to footpaths and drainage are also included within the programme.

To allow the work to be completed safely and efficiently, the sections of Sunk Island Road being worked on will need to close to through traffic. A diversion will operate via the A1033 New Road, A1033 Patrington Road, A1033 Winestead Lane, A1033 Station Road, Humber Lane, Haven Road, Main Street, Patrington Road and Brick Road.

The council has said access to properties and businesses will be maintained wherever possible throughout the scheme.

Councillor Paul West, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, described the work as essential for the local community.

“This is an essential scheme and needs to be done to improve the surface of this road for the local community for years to come,” he said.

“While the project may cause some temporary inconvenience, we want to thank local residents and drivers in advance for bearing with our team while they carry out this work.”

Although smaller maintenance programmes rarely attract the attention given to major new road projects, the scope of this scheme shows the practical work involved in extending the serviceable life of an existing route.

The combination of resurfacing, structural patching and edge strengthening addresses both the visible carriageway and the areas requiring more substantial intervention. Preparing the road for later surface dressing also adds a preventative element intended to protect the renewed surface.

The investment comes as the condition and cost of maintaining local roads remain under scrutiny across the country. Similar financial pressures have recently been visible elsewhere, including those examined in Suffolk’s roads budget position.

For road users in Holderness, the immediate issue will be the sectional closures and diversion during the eight-week programme. Once completed, the council expects the work to provide an improved road surface for the local community, with subsequent surface dressing providing additional protection against potholes.