A18 Mountain Road Reopens Following Snow and Ice Closures

The A18 Mountain Road, a key route connecting the Isle of Man’s capital with the north, has reopened after being closed earlier this week due to snow and sheet ice. The road was shut from the Bungalow to Creg ny Baa late on Tuesday night amidst wintry conditions. Despite the road’s reopening, the Isle of Man Constabulary issued a caution to motorists, advising them to “take care as weather conditions are predicted to deteriorate later tonight”. Throughout the week, the island experienced multiple yellow weather warnings, initially for snow, ice, hail, and sleet, with the most recent alert forecasting heavy rain and gale force winds. On Thursday, the Department of Infrastructure had applied grit to the Mountain Road in an effort to facilitate its opening. However, subsequent wintry showers that afternoon had “undone the work undertaken”. The department has scheduled a sequence of closures for this route in December and during the Easter period. These are planned to enable the execution of surveying, resurfacing, and drainage works.