YOU have your say on the Link Road

The ongoing works on the A361 Link Road have sparked mixed reactions among North Devon residents, with many questioning the project's design, cost, and effectiveness.

While sections of the road have recently been opened to the public, residents have shared their concerns with The Gazette about the project’s overall execution and impact.

Thurstan Ollerearnshaw criticised the first stretch of road completed, saying: “So what did we get for the money in that first section of road opened? It's still one lane in and one lane out, even though they are a bit wider. Then we got a nice big bank where there used to be a line of trees. That obviously helps with safety and traffic speed. Then there's the bridge from nowhere to nowhere. What a colossal waste of money.”

He also raised questions about the project’s costs and delays, adding: “I wonder what provisions in the contract entitled the contractor to additional costs and what provisions entitled the contractor to an extension of time? I'm not convinced about the explanation that the cost overrun was caused by inflation.”

Others echoed his frustrations. Kenneth Simmonds called the project a “waste of time and money,” while David Strickland criticised its ability to alleviate congestion, stating: “The new link road already causes tailbacks up to the new Landkey roundabout towards Barnstaple. All this work will simply add traffic more quickly to the Bishops Tawton to Roundswell roundabouts, which are totally congested at peak times. It’s these three roundabouts which need sorting out. But where’s that money coming from?”

Bob Wise questioned the management of the project, saying: “I have never seen such a waste of £67,000,000 on such a useless upgrade of a road. It should have been a dual carriageway from the start from Tiverton to Barnstaple.”

Safety concerns were raised by Jeff Conibear, who commented: “I give it 6 months before a high-speed crash. Driven it for 20 years, 5 days a week Tiverton to Barnstaple. Already seen dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.”

Chris Payne welcomed some aspects of the project but called other elements unnecessary, stating: “The improvements to the junctions at Landkey, West Buckland, and North Molton are welcome, but the pedestrian overpass at Landkey has been a complete waste of money. Even once all the houses at Wescott are built, why would people want to come over to Landkey? No shop and one pub!”

Mark Boon also shared his thoughts, saying: “In my opinion, there never was anything wrong with the road itself; it’s the people driving on it who have no idea how to drive. The work that has been done will not improve the journey or the time it takes to get to Tiverton or the M5. This is another example of people making decisions about highways that have no idea what they are doing or what affects local residents.”