The Department of Infrastructure (DoI) has issued an emergency closure order for a section of the A1 Peel to Douglas Road to facilitate the safe removal of ash trees affected by Ash Dieback disease.

The closures will affect the stretch of road between Ballacraine traffic lights and a point approximately 300 metres east of Ballacraine and will be in place from 9.30am to 3.30pm on Wednesday, January 22, Thursday, January 23, and Friday, January 24.

The closures are necessary following a recent inspection that found many roadside ash trees to be either dead or significantly weakened by Ash Dieback.

The disease has left the trees at high risk of falling, particularly in strong winds.

The emergency closure comes as Ronaldsway Met Office are warning of gale force winds arriving overnight on Thursday this week as Storm Eowyn has been named.

To ensure public safety, a team of professional arborists, working on behalf of the landowner responsible for the trees, will carry out the felling operation during the specified hours.

A marked diversion route will be in place for motorists, directing traffic via Glen Darragh Road (Glen Vine), Foxdale, The Hope, and Ballacraine.

Ash Dieback, caused by the fungal pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, has been devastating ash tree populations across Europe, including the Isle of Man.

Affected trees become brittle and can fail without warning, making proactive measures like this essential for maintaining safety.