It has been determined that two public trails in the eastern part of the Isle of Man are inaccessible as a result of landslides that were triggered by the recent, intense rainfall. Following a day that experienced the most rainfall for the month of April, problems have been reported in both Maughold and lower Laxey.
After the path was “washed away” and left a “treacherous” 40-foot (12-meter) drop, the Department of Infrastructure announced that the coastal footpath that ran from Port Lewaigue to Port E Vullen in Maughold had been blocked. As a result of a landslip, the public rights of way in the vicinity of Glen Road in Laxey have also been blocked off, according to the Garff Commissioners.
People were warned to stay away from the paths that were located close to the Swales Warehouse and the Shore Hotel. After one area on the side of the building was totally blocked by material that had come down from the hillside, a representative for the local authority stated that it was pursuing an emergency closure order for the sidewalk that was located above the warehouse.
The area was sealed off and declared safe on Tuesday evening due to the presence of fire crews that were dispatched to the scene. The infrastructure department announced that the path at Maughold, which is a section of the Raad ny Foillan coastal footpath, would be closed for a period of four weeks. However, because to safety concerns, the work could not commence until the weather conditions changed.
Following that, a project would be carried out to extend the boardwalk in the area in order to find a solution to the problem.