Almost 8km of the A361 – also known as the North Devon Link Road – will be widened between South Molton and Barnstaple to boost journey time reliability, with eight junctions also being improved to increase safety.

The route passes through Devon and joins up to the M5 near Tiverton. The upgrade is expected to benefit regional and longer distance connectivity by reducing congestion, as well as helping to unlock capacity to support 6700 new homes in the region.

Devon County Council’s cabinet member for infrastructure and development Andrea Davis said: “The upgrade of this road is the biggest transport investment in north Devon for a generation. It will help unlock the true potential of the local economy, and with the ongoing impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, that is vital at this time.

She added: “We have been working tirelessly on this project for a number of years so it’s great to see that effort rewarded with this Government funding. We will now be looking to get work started as soon as we can.”

The Department for Transport’s funding allocation makes up the majority of the £67.6M total cost of the scheme. In addition to road improvements, new facilities for pedestrians and cyclists will also be delivered to help support active travel.

Contractor Alun Griffiths will begin detailed design this month and the main construction work is due to start in the new year.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “I am delighted to announce this funding to upgrade a vital gateway between Devon and the rest of the country. These works will boost connections, cut congestion for drivers and improve people’s quality of life.”
Elsewhere in Devon, Network Rail has started work on the second section of a new sea wall at Dawlish to help protect the coastal mainline railway from rising sea levels and future extreme weather events. The first part completed this summer.

The second, 415m section is due to finish in late 2021 with a final part beginning construction shortly afterwards. The new wall will be higher than the existing structure with a curved edge to send waves back towards the sea. A wider promenade is also being delivered for local residents and visitors.

Work to upgrade the sea wall at Dawlish comes after the railway was severely damaged by a 2014 storm which breached the structure.

(Photograph: Lewis Clarke and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)