Yahoo News Devon roundabout 'chaos' as 'disruption unleashed'
The Cedars Roundabout in Barnstaple has become a bottleneck of frustration and inconvenience, a new survey from the area's MP claims. MP for North Devon, Selaine Saxby has released the summary of her survey which shows the level of congestion and inconvenience has dramatically increased. She also shared her thoughts on solutions including opening the Old Torrington Road bus gate.
Ms Saxby said: “My particular frustration with the Cedars scheme is that no one was aware before the sign went up announcing the roadworks how long it would take, or the huge amount of poorly planned disruption that would be unleashed. Whilst staff running the lights have done a fantastic job, why on earth in this day and age can we not have planned the traffic and have an automated system?
"It was wrong that the proposed solution to this situation was to suggest that residents of North Devon “worked from home” on a road that has schools and Petroc on it, as well as being a route for many to get to the hospital. And it is wrong that no alternative traffic planning was considered, with rat runs now being monitored by the police, the Old Torrington Road bus gate not reopened, and this all happening at the same time as the overrunning Link Road project.
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"All road improvements come with disruption, however, when a project is likely to have as marginal a benefit as this one, residents’ voices should have been heard far earlier as to whether the disruption outweighed the potential benefit. North Devon frankly deserves better and I am deeply dismayed at how our community has been treated through this project and that no compensation has been offered to the businesses whose livelihoods have suffered as a result of these roadworks.”
Within the responses, when asked if they thought the proposed measures at the Cedars Roundabout would make much difference, the greatest majority (324 out of the 701 who answered the question, or 46%) said ‘no’. The second highest majority (176, or 25%) said ‘hopefully, but the money could have been spent better’.
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Question 7 on the survey stated ‘Developers provide funding (S106) for infrastructure, in Cedars case over £800,000. Some changes would not cost vast amounts of money. Some of the ideas below have been suggested, would you like these possibilities to be looked into?’. The ideas offered included a) stopping cars parking on the main road in Bickington, b) stopping cars parking on the main road in Sticklepath, c) opening up the Old Torrington Road Bus gate to help traffic flow away from Cedars, d) more work at Wrey Arms roundabout as that is where the problem is and e) permanent traffic lights at Cedar. Of the 553 who answered this question, the greatest majority (239, 43%) voted for ‘opening up the Old Torrington Road bus gate to help traffic flow away from Cedars’.
Ms Saxby added: “I very much hope new leadership at Devon County Council will see urgent steps taken to better join up how our road network is managed and that we will not see a repeat of the traffic chaos inflicted on residents again. This is not about money, this is about planning and consideration of the economic disruption to North Devon from projects that were barely consulted on at the time. Had the whole project been better planned, so much economic damage would not have been done.”
When the project first started in January, Devon County Council ’s cabinet member for highways management, Councillor Stuart Hughes said: “With major projects such as these it is common that the first few days are the busiest and we expect congestion to ease as the scheme beds in.
“However, I recognise that the past few days have been particularly frustrating for many people, and we are looking at every aspect of the scheme and having daily discussions with Devon and Cornwall Police to find ways to help ease the congestion and improve traffic flow.
“For the time being, where possible, people should consider working from home, start their journey earlier, travel at a different time of day or use a different form of transport or a different route.
"I apologise for any inconvenience caused and please be assured that every effort is being made to remedy the situation and improve traffic flow during the course of these works.”
The roadworks are scheduled to continue until June.
A spokesman for Devon County Council said: "The final phase of overnight closures is due to get underway on the evening of Thursday 30 May, with the A3125 (southern arm of the roundabout) closed from 6.30pm to 6.30am.
"These night-time closures are then scheduled to continue during these hours until Thursday 13 June to allow work on the southern arm of the roundabout. This will include road marking, resurfacing and high friction surfacing for the new crossing, all of which are subject to weather conditions.
"The overnight closures will be in place between the junction with Cedars Roundabout (to the north) and Brynsworthy Park (to the south), with all other manoeuvres at the Cedars roundabout being open – including access into the Cedars Inn from the east and west.
"A signed diversion will be in place while the road is closed, and Bickington Road will remain open throughout.
"Bridge Civil Engineering Ltd, carrying out the work on behalf of Devon County Council, will undertake the noisiest operations before 11pm. Work will continue beyond this time and residents whose properties back onto the A3125 may experience some level of disruption during these evenings.
"During the daytime, work will continue using temporary traffic lights for the installation of traffic signals, signs, and development of new hedgebanks. The temporary four-way traffic signals are expected to be removed and Cedars roundabout scheme completed during the week commencing Monday 17 June."
