Exeter roadworks 'chaos' as drivers abandon cars and walk home

Kim Horton
·2-min read
Traffic problems at Sainsburys Pinhoe (file image)
Traffic problems at Sainsburys Pinhoe (file image) -Credit:Submitted


A fuming Exeter driver has shed light on the impact roadworks have had in the area after shoppers were left stuck in Sainsbury's car park for up to two hours. The motorist claimed people got so fed up with waiting to get home that they ended up abandoning their cars in the Pinhoe branch's car park and walking home.

Over the past week the B3181 Hill Barton Road between Hollow Lane and Sainsbury’s has been closed from 7pm to 6am overnight. The Devon County Council website says that patch of works have now finished. However an extensive roadworks scheme for the area is not expected to finish until July.

One commuter said: "It would be great to warn people about the roadworks by Sainsburys near Pinhoe Road in Exeter. They closed two of the three lanes as you exit the supermarket causing traffic chaos and queues up to two hours to get out.

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"Some people were abandoning their cars in Sainsburys car park and walking home. I refused to buy anything as most people did as the queues to get out were so bad, and all frozen food would have defrosted.

"What made it worse was one of the lanes was only closed so that they could park their van in it for the road works. The other lane was just left empty as it is the turning lane for the closed road. Had they parked in that lane it would have completely alleviated the traffic."

Sainsbury's confirmed there were delays in its Pinhoe Road superstore car park due to roadworks in the area but congestion has now cleared. A spokesperson said the store is sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

There will be further overnight road closures again on the B3181 that are expected to continue for around three weeks.

The Devon County Council website states: "Six weeks of work have been scheduled between the end of the month (April) and early July, most of which will be carried out during overnight road closures on weekday evenings. However, the extensive scheme will start with temporary traffic lights overnight 7pm to 6am on Cumberland Way from Monday 29 April to Friday 3 May.

"From Monday 10 June to Friday 5 July work will carried out overnight (between 7pm to 6am) on weekday evenings on sections of the B3181 north of Hawkins Road junction to Beaumont (M5 overbridge)."

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