£60 million upgrade for North Devon Link Road

6,700 new homes on their way too

A major upgrade of the North Devon Link Road has been backed by a multi-million investment from the government.

Devon County Council has welcomed the announcement confirming £60 million of Department for Transport (DfT) funding for its plan for improvements between South Molton and Portmore roundabout at Barnstaple.

Sections of the road will be widened to provide better overtaking opportunities and improve journey time reliability, and eight junctions will be upgraded to improve safety. To boost active travel, facilities for pedestrians and cyclists will be introduced with new segregated pedestrian/cycle crossings of the road at Bishops Tawton and at Landkey Junction.

The road linking North Devon to the M5 opened in 1988 and quickly became a death trap in certain places where two lanes in one direction and one lane in the other kept switching. Over the years, huge sums have been spent making it safer.

The new plan will address some of those overtaking issues, and the scheme is expected to boost the local economy and it will also accelerate plans for 6,700 new homes in the region.

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council cabinet member for infrastructure, development and waste, said: "The upgrade of this road is the biggest transport investment in north Devon for a generation. It will help unlock the true potential of the local economy in northern Devon, and with the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, that is vital at this time."

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: "These works will boost connections, cut congestion for drivers and improve people’s quality of life. It is a clear indication of our commitment to levelling up and investing in transport infrastructure. Through these works, we’ll improve people’s ability to travel across the Southwest while providing thousands with greater access to new homes and new jobs."

Contractor Alun Griffiths has been appointed to carry out the work on the scheme, with detailed design set to get underway this month and the main construction work due to start in the new year. Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TTRO’s) will be issued shortly to enable the construction work to proceed safely.