Background
The Watermouth site is located along a short section of the A399 main road near Combe Martin in North Devon. The road is cut into the hillside, with a steep cutting on the upslope (south) side and a retaining wall supporting the downslope (north) side. On the downslope side, the road is supported by an old, ivy-covered dry-stone retaining wall approximately 42 metres long and up to 2 metres high. Below this wall lies a narrow footpath, part of the Southwest Coast Path, which runs above a steep slope descending to a tidal creek known as Water Mouth.
An initial site inspection was prompted by visible cracking and settlement in the outer carriageway of the eastbound lane, which was flagged up by a Devon County Council Inspector. This has worsened over time and as a result we required the eastbound lane to be closed to aid investigation. The lane closure was also a precautionary measure to safeguard members of the public and reduce the traffic loading on the edge of the carriageway.
What we are doing
Further investigations are being undertaken to understand the cause of the cracking, and to guide our design to restabilise the Carriageway.
We are aware this is a well-used part of the highway network and of the matter of urgency with regards to this project, therefore we are working promptly in our collation of site information to enable to us work towards a solution to stabilise the highway and remove the temporary traffic lights.
Contact Us
We understand there are lots of unknowns and concern in this present moment. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes and thank you for your patience.
For any questions or concerns, please contact us at highway.engineeringdesignq-mailbox@devon.gov.uk