Description:
The current junction into the Rugby Club at Sandy Park off the A379 is a left-in, left-out only junction. The scheme is to improve the existing junction and provide a full-movements, signalised junction.
Reason for change and options appraisal:
In the past, traffic leaving Sandy Park and heading towards the M5 used the bridge to the west of the site to loop over the A379 and rejoin the eastbound carriageway via Russell Way. The IKEA development on this site has closed this route so traffic now has to U-turn at Russell Way or Newcourt Way but onsite observations suggest some drivers perform illegal and dangerous U-turns on the A379 at the traffic lights. Traffic wishing to access the site from Exeter has to travel around J30 to get there.
With development of 400 dwellings and 8.3Ha of employment proposed off this junction, the demand for U-turning traffic will only increase. The provision of a full-movements junction therefore helps to mitigate the impacts of the development. Just providing a right turn out of the site was considered but this would not help relieve traffic from the busy J30 and providing a full-movements junction will help the network in future. Provision of a new roundabout was also considered but was discounted due to capacity issues resulting from an imbalance of traffic flows between the A379 and Sandy Park access.
Read the full assessment: A379 Sandy Park Junction Improvement