Residents brace for traffic 'carnage' as Cedars roundabout work set to start

Barnstaple motorists and residents are bracing for traffic jam ‘carnage’ when work starts this Monday (January 22) on a new pedestrian crossing at the Cedars roundabout in Roundswell.

The scheme will take around 20 weeks to complete but Devon County Council says in the long term it will improve safety and traffic flow in the area. It cited a month long trial with temporary lights on the hill, which it said did reduce traffic and journey times.

The section through Fremington, Bickington, Roundswell and Sticklepath has always been a traffic jam blackspot and can become gridlocked at peak times, often having a knock on effect and adding to hold-ups around the town.

Dozens of disgruntled local people have taken to Facebook to condemn the expected delays, with many fearing the new crossing will make things worse, not better and also questioning whether it is needed at all.

Temporary traffic lights will be installed to carry out the works, which include widening the southern arm of the Cedars roundabout and placing a new staggered pedestrian crossing with signals there.

Traffic sensors will be installed in the road, plus there will be new street lighting, road markings and signs as well as realignment of hedge banks.

But local people are not happy. Deborah Jesson-Richards commented on the North Devon Gazette Facebook page: “This is going to cause carnage. Bad enough when we had temporary lights for a day at Sticklepath. Barnstaple is going to be one big car park with furious drivers. Absolute madness.”

Roz Gibbs added: “What an absolute waste of money. It sounds like it is just purely for the benefit of Fremington residents and not those of Roundswell. Roundswell traffic will build up more which will in turn then cause more queuing and hold ups on the A39 so just moving the problem.

“They don’t seem to have thought about the increased traffic that now comes from the new houses by the crem as well. Absolutely ridiculous.”

Fremington county councillor Frank Biederman said the works were going to cause delays but he hoped ‘the long term gain will outweigh the short term disruption’.

Mr Biederman added: “It often takes up to an hour to travel the three miles to Barnstaple in peak times. The trial clearly showed that as well as reducing travel times from Fremington and Roundswell through the Cedars Roundabout it reduced the amount of traffic on alternative routes, making them safer for pedestrians, especially Old School Lane in Fremington.”

Cllr Stuart Hughes, the DCC cabinet member for highways, added: “There is never a perfect time for working on the highway, but this project has been planned to start after the Christmas holidays and to avoid as much of the summer as possible.

“Every effort will be made to keep disruption to a minimum but please bear with us.”

The works by Bridge Civil Engineering Ltd will also include occasional overnight road closures (6.30pm-7am) for approximately 15 nights throughout the duration of the scheme.

For more information, people can email DCC-Cedars-Roundabout@wsp.com or visit www.devon.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/traffic-information/roadworks/cedars-roundabout