Work on the first phase of the Woolwell to The George transport improvement scheme is progressing well and remains on schedule.
All major utility diversions have now been completed and work on the new junction at Woolwell Crescent continues, with preparations now being made to build the new toucan crossing on Tavistock Road. This will involve reducing a short section of the outbound side of Tavistock Road to one lane until the summer.
The lane closure, which will protect the workforce as we construct the new crossing and drainage and then work on the central reservation, will be in place from Monday 28 April, with traffic management being put out overnight on Sunday 27 April.
It was originally programmed for February but postponed to March and now later this month, so we could make some minor scheme design changes to avoid diverting utility services under the footpath.
We have also made a start on the new retaining wall on the east side of Tavistock Road (alongside Tesco). The wall allows us to widen and create the space to build the new two-way segregated cycle track.
Plans to complete works on Woolwell Road, which include installing the permanent toucan crossing signals and new street lighting, are also being finalised. They are currently programmed for June and, to avoid significant impacts on traffic flow, will be overnight. Final dates will be confirmed closer to the time.
Preparations for phase two, which involves widening Tavistock Road between Woolwell Roundabout and the George Park and Ride, as well as the replacement of Woolwell Roundabout with a new signalised junction, are also under way and works are planned to start on site later this year.
As part of this we have been carrying out targeted investigations, with specialist support, to decide whether it might be possible to retain some of the trees currently identified for removal. This work is part of our ongoing efforts to reduce the impact of the scheme as much as possible and find alternative solutions where we can.
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 of 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].