DEVON County Council and Teignbridge Council say they are working to minimise disruption caused by extensive roadworks in Newton Abbot as work to the A383 Ashburton Road is due to start today, February 16.

The two authorities say they are aware of the concerns raised by the public about the number of road closures and roadworks currently affecting the town, recognising the disruption it is causing to residents and businesses alike.

The statement comes after Devon County Council highways officers were criticised for failing to attend a public meeting about roadworks last week [February 12].

Around 80 Newton Abbot road users, along with county and town councillors, attended the meeting at Newton Abbot Rugby Club.

Frustrated and fed up of the constant gridlock around the town and the state of the roads, residents and business owners voiced their concerns about the lack of joined-up planning around the various roadworks in and around Newton Abbot and the poor communication and consultation about when and where works are taking place.

In the joint statement, the two council’s said: ‘We are aware of the concerns raised by members of the public about the number of temporary road closures and roadworks currently affecting Newton Abbot.

‘Both organisations recognise the disruption this may be causing residents, businesses and commuters and are working closely together to minimise the impact wherever possible.

‘A great deal of planning goes into coordinating roadworks, but it is not always possible to schedule works consecutively, and emergency or unplanned issues can create unavoidable overlaps.

‘At present, several major road improvement schemes linked to long-term infrastructure changes are under way across the town.

‘These, combined with immediate and unavoidable repairs, have created significant challenges on the road network.

‘Devon County Council receives around 1,000 applications each week for work on the highway.

‘Any new application for road works in Newton Abbot (or other areas) is carefully considered, and alternatives are explored to minimise disruption wherever possible.

‘However, there are times when some works simply must go ahead, such as regulatory works and urgent/emergency works etc.

‘The A382 scheme is a long-term, pre-planned major road improvement project. Government funding for these works was confirmed later than expected and is time limited, meaning delays would risk losing the investment entirely.

‘The A383 improvements are linked to the new Bloor Homes development and are also subject to strict time constraints.

‘Working closely with key partners, the programme for this route has been reduced significantly, from an anticipated 52 weeks to around 31 weeks, and was rescheduled to start in February to avoid the busy Christmas period.

‘Elsewhere in the town, steps are being taken to keep disruption to a minimum.

‘For example, during the traffic signal replacement works at the Torquay Road / Brunel Road junction, temporary lights have been programmed to closely replicate the timings of the permanent signals and can be adjusted remotely if required.

‘Any necessary lane closures are being undertaken overnight to prevent additional daytime disruption’.