Devon preparing to start its final road improvements for South West Exeter development

Devon County Councils final road infrastructure improvements for South West Exeter are due to start on site in the coming weeks.

The work is part of the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund to support the development of 2,500 new homes on the outskirts of the city.

Contracts have been awarded for the following:

• Provision of a new shared-use path and crossing on Bad Homburg Way;
• Realignment of Chudleigh Road and a new signalised junction; and
• Widening of the A379.

Shared use path and crossing on Bad Homburg Way:

The scheme to install a new pedestrian and cycle crossing on Bad Homburg Way will complete active travel links around the Devon Hotel roundabout. Work is expected to get underway on Monday 7 October and is scheduled to be completed in February 2025.

A shared-use path will be developed on the western side of Bad Homburg Way, linking the new crossing to Dawlish Road. Street lighting will be upgraded and the road will be resurfaced.

Work will be undertaken with a contraflow system and a temporary 30mph speed limit in place.

Initially, a temporary lane closure will be introduced overnight on Sunday 6 October on Bad Homburg Way (B3123, heading towards Marsh Barton Trading Estate). This lane closure will be in place for around three days while vegetation is removed from the site.

Both southbound traffic lanes will remain open as usual.

A number of overnight closures (7pm to 6am) will be needed on Bad Homburg Way at different times during the scheme.

The first of these will be for one night on Wednesday 9 October when Bad Homburg Way will be closed overnight between the Park & Ride roundabout and Devon Hotel roundabout. This initial road closure will be used to set up the contraflow system on Bad Homburg Way although work is weather dependent.

It is expected that another overnight closure of Bad Homburg Way will be needed in early December, to allow the contraflow to be swapped to the opposite side of the road, and also in the new year for resurfacing and road marking. Exact dates of these road closures will be confirmed nearer the time via large, trailer mounted signs.

During overnight road closures a fully signed diversion will be in place.

Work will be carried out by contractor Bridge Civil Engineering Ltd. They are liaising closely with other contractors working on the A379 at Trood Lane to coordinate traffic management layouts and minimise disruption as far as possible.

Chudleigh Road realignment and A379 widening:

Work to realign Chudleigh Road is expected to start towards the beginning of November. The road is being moved to connect to a new signalised junction with the A379 which will be developed further to the east.

Due to its close proximity to the bridge across the A30, it’s not possible to improve the existing junction, and it’s therefore being relocated.

Vehicles currently have to cross a busy section of the road as they exit the existing Chudleigh Road junction on to the A379. This will no longer be suitable as developments come forward, so the junction will be closed to traffic and will only be accessible for active travel.

Work in this area also includes widening of the A379/Ellacott Road junction to accommodate additional lanes on the A379. Devon County Council has awarded the contract for this scheme to Wills Bros.