Improvement work to enhance bus services on Heavitree Road in Exeter will get underway next month (February).
The scheme, which will start on Monday 2 February, involves the construction of a new traffic island and installation of a new set of traffic signals at the end of the outbound (eastbound) bus lane between Grendon Road and Polsloe Road/Barrack Road.
These new signals will give buses priority at the Polsloe Road / Barrack Road junction, making it easier for buses to progress towards Heavitree Fore Street or move from the bus lane into the right turn lane for services travelling down Barrack Road.
Bus Service Improvement Plan funding, awarded to us by the Department for Transport, is funding the scheme which is designed to cut bus journey times and improve the reliability of bus services.
Work is expected to take four weeks to complete and will include a combination of daytime and night-time phases of work: –
• Monday 2 February to the morning of Saturday 7 February – overnight closures from 7pm to 7am;
• Monday 9 February to the morning of Saturday 14 February – overnight closures from 7pm to 7am;
• Monday 16 February to Sunday 22 February – eastbound lane closures during the daytime and night-time;
• Monday 23 February to the morning of Saturday 28 February – daytime eastbound lane closures (7am-7pm) and full road closures overnight between 7pm and 7am.
During the closures, a signed diversion route will be in place via Magdalen Road, Barrack Road, Topsham Road, Holloway Street, Magdalen Street, Western Way and Heavitree Road. Road closure dates are subject to change and, where necessary, on-street advance warning signs will be updated accordingly.
Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said:
“It’s appreciated that there has been a fair bit of disruption to journeys around Heavitree over the past year and this is also likely to cause some delays. However, these roadworks to increase priority for buses will make a significant difference to bus journeys going forward and improve journey times overall. The public are thanked for their patience.”
Councillor Thomas Richardson, County Councillor for St Sidwell’s and St James, said:
“Understandably, these works will cause disruption in Exeter for a short while. As we all know, Exeter has traffic issues owing to the way the city developed over the previous decades. Whilst there will be short term disruption during these works, the long-term impact of improving bus services in Exeter and reducing congestion at the Heavitree Road/Barrack Road junction is a win for everyone.”
Throughout the duration of the work, on-street parking will be temporarily suspended from Monday 2 February on Heavitree Road, between the junctions with Grendon Road and Polsloe Road/Barrack Road.
To reduce disruption to road users, resurfacing work on this section of Heavitree Road will also be co-ordinated to be carried out during the same closures.
For more information visit https://devon.cc/exeter-bsip-works
