Council shares original link road plans amid delay

The North Devon Link Road, which connects North Devon and northern Cornwall to the rest of Devon and the UK via the M5, has been a focal point of both anticipation and frustration for locals and visitors. 

As the long-awaited improvements meet a scheduled completion of late summer, the Gazette delves into the project's origins, progress, and the community's concerns.

The North Devon Link Road project traces its origins back to a public consultation held in the summer of 2016.

Following this, a preferred option was submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) in October 2016.

With the approval of the Strategic Outline Business Case, the strategy for the route was further developed and presented in a second public consultation in the summer of 2017. 

The scheme, focused on junction and link improvements between South Molton and Barnstaple, received the green light from the Devon County Council (DCC) Cabinet.

In December 2020, contractor Alun Griffiths was awarded the contract for the 'Main Works,' with construction beginning in January 2021 and an original completion date set for the end of 2023. 

However, a series of economic challenges and global events, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have pushed the completion date to the summer of 2024.

As the revised completion date approaches, frustration among North Devon residents and visitors is evident.

Many locals have expressed their dissatisfaction with the prolonged construction, fearing that the ongoing roadworks will exacerbate traffic congestion during the peak summer tourist season.

The Gazette reached out to Devon County Council, the authority responsible for the region's roads, to address these concerns. 

The Council reiterated that the Government committed funding to develop the business case for the Link Road improvement project in 2015, with the full business case receiving approval in November 2020.

Due to economic challenges exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and global supply chain disruptions, amendments to the main scheme of the North Devon Link Road project were approved in November 2022, pushing the completion date to summer 2024. 

The 'Main Works' contract was tendered in 2019/20, with tenders submitted in mid-March 2020, before the full impact of the pandemic was realised.

In response to these challenges, Devon County Council explored various options, including seeking additional funding and adjusting project scopes. 

Cabinet decisions include removing the overtaking section between the Portmore and Landkey junctions, modifying the design of the Bishops Tawton roundabout, and deciding not to replace permanent fencing on site, aiming to streamline project completion amidst ongoing constraints.

Despite the delays, the upgraded road is set to open in stages this summer, with the final section at West Buckland Junction expected to be completed by late summer or early autumn.

The council has said progress has been made on the £67 million improvement project. 

The Westleigh Junction was upgraded and completed in July 2021, followed by the Buckleigh Road junction in January 2022. 

Further improvements to Bishops Tawton roundabout and Heywood Road roundabout are scheduled for 2025/26.