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New crossing at Barnstaple roundabout will ‘improve traffic flow and encourage active travel’


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Regardless if you walk, cycle or drive, plans for a new crossing at the Cedars roundabout in Barnstaple will benefit you.

The new pedestrian and cycle crossing will help reduce delays to traffic travelling from the Bickington direction.

On Wednesday (March 9) our Cabinet approved proposals for a new staggered ‘Toucan’ crossing, on the Bickington Road (A3125) approach to the roundabout, with additional bus priority measures also being looked into.

Once built, the traffic lights at the crossing will turn red on the approach to the roundabout during peak times in the morning, even if no pedestrians are crossing.

This will allow traffic from Bickington and Fremington to enter the roundabout more easily and ease traffic coming from that direction.

Traffic entering the roundabout at this point is often delayed during the morning because the priority is given to traffic from the A39 south and Roundswell, turning right into Barnstaple.

The plans follow a public consultation late last year and a successful trial in 2019 – during the trial temporary traffic signals were positioned on the A3125 south of the roundabout. The signals turned red periodically.

The trial showed a reduction in average journey times for vehicles entering the roundabout from the west from the Bickington/Fremington direction and also from the south from the Roundswell direction.

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said:

“This is an excellent scheme and by providing a safe crossing point it will encourage more people to walk and cycle which will help people stay healthy for longer and help cut emissions. Many  who took part in the consultation also supported additional measures to give buses greater priority and that is something I support and is currently being looked into.”

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said:

“This new crossing will not only provide a safe crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists across the A3125 Bickington Road, but benefit motorists as well and ease traffic flow from all directions. Extensive modelling and the trial have shown that this new traffic light crossing will reduce journey times from the Bickington and Fremington direction.”

Councillor Frank Biederman, County Councillor for Fremington Rural, said:

“I am pleased that this new crossing has been approved after many years of asking for action to be taken. The trial in 2019 showed that with the signals in place that for those travelling from Bickington, journey times were up to 15 minutes shorter; and up to 3 minutes shorter from the Roundswell direction due to traffic changing their route.”


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