The minister claims that work on the Balthane junction will be completed in 2026

The infrastructure minister said the junction in the south of the Isle of Man, connecting the new development to the main road, is expected to be completed in 2026.

Revised plans for a four-arm roundabout at Balthane Junction to link with the new Ballasalla bypass created for the 282-home Dandara development have been submitted in early 2022.

Tim Crookall said that while the budget for land acquisition and construction had been approved, more funding was now needed due to the presence of coal tar on the existing roundabout.

He added that the additional costs would be used to appoint a specialist consultant for dealing with hazardous substances.

Crookall told House of Keys that “last plot” land deals are pending between the department and Malew commissioners.

He said once funding was agreed, the work would be tendered and a construction program agreed, so while the department had a target of April 2026, there was “no firm date set” for completion.

Jason Moorhouse MHK said the presence of coal tar had been mentioned before Christmas last year and questioned why no funding applications had been submitted yet.

However, Crookall said the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) was “close to solving the problem.”

The department undertook work on the roundabout and the “last meters” of the bypass, and Dandara was responsible for the bypass, he added.

In a recent written response, the minister said that while Dandara had substantially completed work on the first of the two phases of the bypass, the remaining works had no completion date because completing the section had no “commercial value” for the developer.

In a statement, Dandara said it had “completed the bypass” up to the site’s border with the roundabout, but “has not received any indication” from the Department of Infrastructure on when it will complete work on the intersection.