THE new Dinan Way extension in Exmouth will open on Wednesday, September 9 as work begins on the final phase of the scheme.

But the next stage will mean some disruption for drivers for the rest of the year.

A short section of the A376 between Courtlands Cross and Courtlands Lane will close to through traffic while the roundabout is completed.

There will also be overnight closures at Courtlands Cross from 7pm to 6am on September 7 and 8 to allow preparatory work to be carried out.

The new 800-metre road will carry traffic in and out of Exmouth while the second new roundabout is finished at the A376 junction.

During the closure, vehicles travelling to and from Exmouth town centre will be diverted along the newly completed Dinan Way extension and Hulham Road.

The diversion route will include a number of temporary one-way routes.

These include routes between Hulham Road and Exeter Road via Iona Avenue; between Exeter Road and Hulham Road via Featherbed Lane; and between Pound Lane and Hulham Road via Forton Road/The Marles, Brixington Lane, Jubilee Drive and Dinan Way.

The overall scheme is currently expected to be finished by the end of this year.

Temporary traffic lights will also be needed on parts of the A376 during the autumn while contractors move utility services and finish drainage, kerbs and footway work.

The project will also deliver a wider footway along part of the A376 to improve routes for pedestrians and cyclists.

Most of the new 800-metre road has already been built, including the Hulham Road roundabout, a six-metre-high retaining wall, drainage and ponds to manage surface water.

The Dinan Way extension scheme is being funded by the government, Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and Exmouth Town Council.