Background
With the recent announcement of the confirmed funding for Exmouth by the Department for Transport and contributions from Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and Exmouth Town Council, this scheme will deliver an extension to link Dinan Way with the A376.
The aim of the works is to reduce congestion along the routes into Exmouth and to provide better access for road users into the town.
Progress of works
Temporary traffic lights will be removed from the A376 over the summer months to help ease traffic flow in and out of Exmouth.
The temporary signals which have been in place during the construction of the Dinan Way extension will be cleared from the road on Friday 29 May in time for the holiday season.
The new Dinan Way extension will then be open for use in September with traffic being diverted onto the new road while construction of the new roundabout on the A376 is carried out.
To undertake work on the roundabout, which is the final element of the scheme, the A376 will be temporarily closed from the roundabout to the Courtlands Lane junction whilst traffic uses the new link road.
The development of this roundabout is complex due to the amount of underground services in the area, a number of which need to be re-routed by third parties.
The exact date of the opening of the new section of Dinan Way and the duration of the closure of the short stretch of the A376 are still to be confirmed, but the scheme is now due to be complete by the end of the year.
The project has been delayed due to the significant impact of poor weather earlier in the year, combined with supply chain issues. As a result, the critical A376 works were pushed into the summer holiday period. To minimise disruption during this busy time, a decision was made to pause the works and remove traffic management from the A376 (the main route into and out of Exmouth) to help ease traffic flow during Exmouth’s peak tourist season.
Works on the A376 will recommence after the summer holidays.
The majority of the new 800 metre road has now been constructed including a new roundabout at Hulham Road, together with a significant amount of earthmoving, a 6 metre high retaining wall construction and highway drainage system.
The installation of a bus stop and footpath at Hulham Road, near Kings Nursery, is due to be complete in the coming weeks.
Tree planting and the creation of new hedge banks are ongoing, and large attenuation ponds are still under construction to ensure no additional surface water run-off reaches local water courses.
The scheme is being funded by UK Government, Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and Exmouth Town Council.
What we are doing
The construction of the Dinan Way extension includes:
- installation of a new roundabout and associated works at the junction between Dinan Way and Hulham Road
- installation of a new roundabout and associated works at the junction between A376 and the extension of Dinan Way
- construction of a carriageway, footway and associated works between Hulham Road and the A376
Traffic management
| Scheme | Timescale |
| Bus Stop installation and footpath, Hulham Road at Kings Nursery | Finished end of May 2026 |
| Dinan Way Extension Main Scheme – A376 Roundabout | May 2026 – finish December 2026 |
| Opening of Dinan Way Link Road | September 2026 |
| A376 Footway widening | September 2026 – December 2026 |
| Courtlands Lane surfacing (250m approx.) | September 2026 – December 2026 |
| A376 South closure from roundabout to Courtlands Lane junction | September 2026 – December 2026 |
| A376 night closure carriageway tie-in works from Saddlers Inn to Courtlands Lane (for 5 nights (19.00 – 06.00)) | Mid September 2026 |
| A376 night closure surfacing works (duration to be confirmed (19.00 – 06.00)) | November 2026 |
| Hulham Road Drainage maintenance works, Exe View Road and between Dinan Way and Kings Nursery | To be confirmed |
Diversion route
The overnight diversion route during road closures for resurfacing works will be provided as part of future communications closer to the time of works; our working hours will be between 7pm until 7am. Information regarding the diversion route can be found via Causeway one.network
Contact information
For any questions or concerns please get in touch csc.roads@devon.gov.uk