Coal tar contamination in road surfaces has prevented the DoI from proceeding with 45 projects, including major routes, its minister has confirmed.
Tim Crookall told a Tynwald committee: “We have got now something like 45 projects that we cannot do until we solve that issue.”
His predecessor Dr Michelle Haywood had previously outlined how the DoI planned to handle the issue.
He described it as “a huge problem”, adding: “There are main roads, not just back roads, they are main roads that need work doing to them, and that’s obviously our main absolute infrastructure.”
Jeffrey Robinson, Deputy Chief Officer, described coal tar as “a straight jacket on us for years now, and constraining everything we’re doing”.
The minister said the contamination was a legacy issue from past practices and sought to reassure the committee that current practices would not create similar problems for future generations.
“I’m sure what we’re doing now is a lot better and a lot cleaner, and we’ll leave the place a lot better, you know, in 50 years time, than we found it,” he said.