Road’s safety upgrade will mean 9 weeks of disruption

LONG-AWAITED road safety improvements on one of Devon’s most dangerous roads are finally set to begin next month. More than six years after discussions began, work on the next phase of the A3121 near Ugborough start on Monday, April 29 – but will result in nine weeks of traffic disruption for motorists.

The A3121, which connects to the A379 west of Modbury to Ermington and the A38 east of Ivybridge, was one of 50 A-roads which received a share of the Department for Transport’s Safer Roads Funding in recent years after 31 collisions on the route between 2012 and 2016.

The £1.9 million of Safer Roads Funding and £1m of our Local Transport Plan funding supported a series of junction improvements at Kitterford Cross and Modbury Cross which were both identified as frequent collision areas on the route. So far, a roundabout has been built at Kitterford Cross and the Modbury Cross access to the A379 was closed after a roundabout was developed at Hollowcombe Cross to improve the connection of the A3121 with the A379.

Now, the final phase of the work is set to get under way. But it will cause disruption to motorists when the road is closed completely to motorists. The nine-week scheme at the Sign of the Owl cross involves widening of the road, drainage upgrades, resurfacing, and landscaping work. The road will be completely closed for the first five weeks (Monday April 29 – Sunday June 2) between Sign of the Owl Cross and Venn Cross, with traffic diverted via the A38, Deep Lane, Elburton, A379, Brixton, Yealmpton, A3121, Ermington, Ugborough.

This will be followed by four weeks (June 3 to June 30) where work will continue with four-way temporary traffic signals in place until the end of June.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council’s Cabinet

Member for Highway Management, said: “These improvements will continue to make the road safer, following on from the upgrades that were introduced using Safer Roads Funding. It is a busy road so unfortunately the closure will cause some disruption, but the narrow width of the road means that it will have to be closed for the first half of the project for the safety of the public and workforce on site. To minimise disruption, once the widening work has taken place the contractors will be able to complete the remaining work under traffic lights.”

Cllr Dan Thomas, County Councillor for South Brent and Yealmpton, added: “I’m always pleased to see road safety being prioritised in the far west of the county and welcome any improvements to drainage and road surface.”