Preparation work needed to change the entrance to the city’s new Brunel Plaza is due to get underway this year.
Station Approach is going to be radically altered to allow vehicles to get in and out of the new multi-storey car park as well as the station itself.
The entire area around the station is undergoing a complete transformation.
The University of Plymouth is currently converting InterCity Place into a brand new space to train and develop the next generation of nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals. Significant improvements are ongoing in and around the station concourse.
Now the project team is turning its attention to the entrance from North Road East.
A traffic regulation order is being published this week which will see the removal of four pay and display spaces to allow the road to be reconfigured to create a roundabout at the top of Station Approach.
Station Approach will be altered to make it two-way so that drivers can go in and out of the planned new multi-storey without needing to pass in front of the station.
It means that passengers coming out of the station will eventually be welcomed into Plymouth by an attractive airy plaza with offices and shops, rather than a narrow road and a concrete car park.
Only four pay and display bays will be lost on North Road East but plenty of parking spaces will be available once the new multi-storey is built.
The work is expected to start in the autumn and South West Highways will carry out the work. The project team also hope to combine other key cabling work needed for Brunel Plaza at the same time to keep disruption to a minimum.
Appropriate traffic diversions will be drawn up as part of the programming.
Cabinet Member for Transport Councillor Jonathan Drean said: “Brunel Plaza is one of our most exciting city projects. We are working with Network Rail, GWR and the University of Plymouth to transform this area, to make a better welcome while at the same time creating amazing facilities for the next generation of medical professionals.
“Long term this will create highly skilled jobs, better access to health and social care for our residents as well as a much more pleasant welcome and much better options for public transport, including facilities for e-bikes and e-car hire which will be part of the multi storey car park development.”
The work is allowed under permitted development.