The road, which allows motorists to get inside the course by driving along the former railway line from Quarter Bridge to Braddan Road, has been criticised in recent years for delays and traffic jams.

Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer told Tynwald in 2018 that his department had

’conceptual plans to make more substantial improvements to the access road to make it a truly two-way carriageway, and these will be further developed and refined over the coming months’.

When asked if he had Treasury support, Mr Harmer added: ’Yes, I am expecting a very smooth progress.

’The business case would obviously come in February 2020, and we are looking for it by TT 2022.

’ Obviously there is a mix between maintenance and improvements and if we make improvements then that might detract from the scheme.’

But in its response to the eastern area plan inquiry report by chairman Michael Hurley, the Cabinet Office has appeared to have dropped his recommendation for that work to be targeted for completion by 2022.

Mr Hurley had called for an adaptation to the plan’s transport proposal to state that the government would be required ’to improve the TT access road to provide for a traffic lane in either direction by 2022’.

However, the Cabinet Office response is that ’there are considerable implications for government in making a commitment to deliver improvements by a certain date’.

It added:

’If Tynwald approve the area plan for the east in July 2020, and assuming a target date for the road improvements by the end of 2022, this would allow around 2.5 years for design, planning, legal and funding arrangements to be worked through and work to be completed on site.’

Instead it is seeking to commit government to improving the situation, but not set a time on when it will be delivered.

A DoI spokesman told the Examiner:

’Work is taking place to explore different strategies for the TT Access Road, and a business case will be prepared to support the preferred option for the 2021 Budget.’