New A38 speed limits on Plymouth Parkway to increase journey times from next week

Work to cut the speed limit on the A38 Plymouth Parkway will begin next week, with National Highways confirming a new permanent 60mph limit between Marsh Mills and the Tamar Bridge.

The change follows a safety review which found the collision rate on the route was twice the national average, with 157 crashes and 226 injuries recorded between 2020 and 2024.

From next Monday (17 November) overnight lane and slip road closures will allow engineers to install new signs and road markings. 

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Diversions will be clearly marked, and the scheme is expected to finish by 22 December, after which the new 60mph limit will become legally enforceable.

National Highways said the change will add around a minute to journeys between Marsh Mills and the Tamar Bridge but should help reduce the number and severity of collisions.

Jack Mason, National Highways’ South West Road Safety Manager, said:

“The speed reduction will reduce the number and severity of collisions and is the first step towards improving safety for motorists on the A38 Parkway and for local communities.

Once completed, the reduced speed limit will add only 49 seconds to people’s journeys between Marsh Mills and the Tamar Bridge.”

ABOVE: A38 Parkway speed reduction change map (National Highways)

The safety review was launched following concerns about a high number of incidents on the A38. 

Earlier this year, The Moorlander reported on the proposals, sparking some local commuters who supported the change, hoping for “safer journeys” while others ridiculed the idea as “an ignorant abuse of power”.

Police have backed the new limit. Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety for Devon and Cornwall Police, said:

“We welcome National Highways’ efforts to improve driver safety on the A38. Inappropriate and excess speed, and not abiding by limits, are among the ‘Fatal Five’ behaviours that most commonly lead to serious collisions.”

The reduced limit forms part of a wider safety strategy that includes future improvements at Manadon and Deep Lane, as well as average speed cameras already installed between Carkeel and Trerulefoot in Cornwall.