THE LONG and winding route out of St Lawrence has been made easier for residents — following several days of roadworks.

Residents have endured a series of road closures, but the St Lawrence Shute is now open and the Ventnor roadworks are due to complete today.

With the Undercliff Road to Niton shut off for years, the only way out has been through Ventnor or up the narrow St Lawrence Shute to Whitwell.

The County Press has been told that a coach tried to navigate the shute on Sunday, September 30, and a resulting crash caused damage to the disused railway bridge.

This destabilised the road, and an emergency road closure was put in place by Island Roads.

Historic Railway Estate, on behalf of the Department for Transport, carried out emergency works throughout the past week, and finished the job late last (9) night. The road is now open.

The works coincided with roadworks at the St Lawrence end of Ventnor, which meant it was not a direct route out that way either.

Island Roads is aiming to have that work finished today (10).

St Lawrence resident Joan Pound said: "The only way out was through Ventnor but Park Road, the main route, was shut. "It did inconvenience a lot of people and we didn't know how long all this was going to last. We were literally driving all round the houses to get anywhere."