Work on the first phase of the Woolwell to The George scheme is progressing well and preparations will soon be getting under way for the second phase.
So far, we have completed widening on Woolwell Road for the new shared pedestrian and cycle paths and carried out significant underground utility diversions (including a large water main at Woolwell Crescent), as well as widening works for the upcoming construction of the new junction.
We have also cleared trees and vegetation along Tavistock Road next to Tesco in preparation for the new retaining wall and cycle track.
The westbound side of Woolwell Road is expected to reopen on Monday 10 February, following resurfacing and relining works that are due to start next week (Tuesday 28 January).
Once work to plane off the current surface and lay the new surface is complete, road studs will be installed and white lining placed at the new pedestrian crossing. This work will be carried out overnight (not including weekends) and is expected to take up to two weeks. (As it is weather dependant some contingency has been built into the programme.)
The current signals at the junction of Woolwell Road and Woolwell Drive will remain in place until the surfacing work is complete. On occasions temporary signals will also be in operation on each arm of Towerfield Drive roundabout from 7pm through to 6am.
Pedestrians will be directed to use the footpaths on one side of Woolwell Road and the footpath to Tesco will be restricted overnight.
Arrangements will be changed on the evening of Sunday 9 February, ready for traffic to start using the new layout the following day. (Crews will need to revisit Woolwell Road at a later date to complete anti-skid surfacing and install permanent street lighting and traffic lights.)
The exit from Woolwell Crescent onto Tavistock Road will then be closed, with all traffic leaving the Woolwell area directed to use the newly reopened westbound side of Woolwell Road. We will be providing a freeflow lane from Woolwell Road onto Woolwell Roundabout so that traffic does not have to give way and can merge with Tavistock Road traffic in the normal way.
Vehicles will still be able to access Tesco from Woolwell Crescent and vehicles from Tavistock Road will continue to access Tesco via the Belliver Roundabout diversion and Woolwell Road. Pedestrians will be able to access Tesco via the blue diversion shown on the map.
The no right turn from Tavistock Road into Woolwell Road (at Woolwell Roundabout) will remain in place to ensure southbound traffic can keep flowing. All vehicles, except for emergency vehicles and buses travelling northbound, will continue to take the short diversion via Belliver Roundabout.
A camera is being installed at the roundabout on Thursday 23 January to enforce this restriction, as monitoring by the project team and reports from the public have shown it is being frequently ignored. Drivers are reminded that entering the bus lane risks a penalty charge notice of £70.
Tavistock Road will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Woolwell Roundabout and Woolwell Crescent but, with no traffic exiting from Woolwell Crescent, this is not expected to result in significant disruption.
Initial preparations for the second phase of the scheme are also due to get under way next week.
Site clearance will start on Monday 27 January to get the area ready for construction works later in the year and will include the removal of trees and vegetation mainly on and around Woolwell Roundabout. We will also be carrying out some clearance at the George Park and Ride site to support the creation of 85 to 100 additional parking spaces.
This is expected to take up to four weeks and needs to take place now to avoid bird nesting season, which generally starts from March. All the necessary environmental impact assessment work has been carried out, including arboricultural and ecological surveys and there will be an ecologist on site during these works.
Lane closures will be needed in early February for some of the clearance work (mainly on sections close to the Clock House contractor compound) but this this will be carried out at night to minimise disruption. Some footpaths will also be closed for safety reasons, but alternative pedestrian routes will be provided.
The main construction work for phase two, which involves replacing Woolwell Roundabout with a signalised junction and widening Tavistock Road, is planned to start at the roundabout later in the year. This phase will also include the construction of two attenuation ponds to help with drainage, diverting a significant number of utility services, providing new signal-controlled crossings and planting across the scheme area.
Businesses will remain open as usual during the works. We'd like to thank everyone for their patience while we deliver these improvements and complying with the restrictions, which are in place for everyone's safety.
The Woolwell to The George scheme has been in the pipeline for many years. It will tackle one of Plymouth’s worst traffic bottlenecks and is a vital part of our programme to provide better links to and from the north of Plymouth as it grows.
In the coming years around 4,400 new homes are planned in the north of the city – including 2,000 new homes at the Woolwell Urban Extension. This and other developments, such as the new district shopping centre in Derriford, will see an increased amount of traffic along this route.
The whole scheme will cost £45 million, which includes £24.9 million in UK Government funding to support delivery of these vital improvements.
More information, including traffic management plans and FAQs, can be found on our Woolwell to The George pages.
For regular updates and advance notifications of road layout changes email Balfour Beatty at [email protected].