by Alan Quick

CREDITON is still open for business! That is the message from a number of traders in the town, many of whom are experiencing a fall in the number of shoppers or customers because they have by-passed the High Street and main town area because of the current road closure on the A377 road between Queen Elizabeth Drive and Barnstaple Cross.

At times Crediton High Street has resembled a ghost town with very little traffic and very few pedestrians.

On January 15, emergency road repairs by Devon County Council contractors began along a stretch of the A377 road between Queen Elizabeth Drive and Barnstaple Cross - works which required the complete closure of the road between Crediton and Barnstaple Cross.

The road will be closed for about four weeks to enable the works to be completed safely.

The official diversion is via the A3072 to De Bathe Cross, North Tawton to Whiddon Down and joining the A30 but most of the 15,000 vehicle journeys which normally pass through the town are being made via the Jockey Hill and Higher Road route.

Lorry companies were informed of the official diversion and are adhering to the diversion but some lorries are using the Higher Road route, which has been causing traffic issues in narrow parts of the route, as was predicted.

LONG DELAYS

There have been some long delays along the Higher Road route at times, some motorists complaining it has taken up to 25 minutes from Spencecombe to Crediton.

Pinch points have been at the roundabout at the bottom of Jockey Hill, the Forches Cross junction at the top of Jockey Hill and the Alexandra Road junction with Higher Road.

Other narrow areas along Higher Road have also seen traffic come to a standstill.

Before the roadworks began at Chapel Downs, Adam Baldwin, from the Bridges and Structures department at Devon County Council said: “Following the identification of cracking to the road edge, we believe that the road edge has become unstable and there is potential for the road to fail entirely.

“As a result, we propose to construct an engineered embankment with dwarf wall at the toe in order to stabilise the bank.”

He added: “The contractor undertaking the works will be MacPlant Construction Ltd (0128 8362111), who are very familiar with the construction of embankment/wall stabilisation schemes.”

The road will be closed 24 hours-a-day but could be re-opened sooner subject to favourable conditions, said Devon County Council.

The council added that the works require excavating three metres deep adjacent to the carriageway and the casting of a new mass concrete retaining wall to stabilise the road.

The existing highway drainage is to be replaced and the road then re-surfaced along the extent of the works, expected to be about 30 metres in length.

It adds that whilst undertaking this work, it must ensure the safety of the workforce and public at all times.

SPEED RESTRICTIONS

Some speed restrictions and one-way systems have been put in place.

The roads with 30mph speed restrictions are: A377 Road from Quarry Foot Cross, Knowle to Barnstaple Cross, Copplestone for a distance of 1,781 metres in an easterly direction; Higher Road, Crediton from George Hill Cross to Barnstaple Cross, for a distance of 2,127 metres in a westerly direction; Road from Quarry Foot Cross, Knowle to Brandise Cross, Hollacombe for a distance of 2,674 metres in a southerly direction; Road from Raddon Down Cross to Barnstaple Cross, Crediton for a distance of 1,178 metres in an easterly direction; Pitt Hill, Crediton from Hollacombe Cross to its junction with Westernlea for a distance of 3,155 metres in an easterly direction; Road from Brandise Cross, Hollacombe to Elston Meadow, Crediton for a distances of 3,630 metres in an easterly direction.

A one-way Northbound closure is in effect on the road from Quarry Foot Cross to Raddon Down Cross, Knowle.

BUS ROUTES

Bus stops at Queen Elizabeth Drive and near Crediton Hospital have been suspended by Stagecoach during the road closure but the bus company says other services are operating as usual and are using diverted routes via Queen Elizabeth’s School, St Martin’s Lane, George Hill, Higher Road to Barnstaple Cross and in the opposite direction.

• Have you been affected by the A377 road closure? Is your business affected or are you a motorist finding it difficult?

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