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Forder Valley Road West to reopen next week

Map showing traffic and pedestrian routes when Forder Valley Road West reopens

Good news! Forder Valley Road West will reopen on Tuesday 1 March.

The section between Novorossiysk Road and Fort Austin Avenue has been closed since September 2020, while major work took place to relocate and rebuild the Forder Valley Road/Novorossiysk Road junction in preparation for the new Forder Valley Link Road.

Work to construct the new junction, which is much larger than the old one and around five metres higher, also involved rerouting utility services such as gas, electricity and water.

Crews are working to reopen the road late evening on Tuesday. Once the road reopens, drivers will be able to travel in both directions between Forder Valley Road South, Forder Valley Road West and Novorossiysk Road.

Reopening a third arm on the junction means traffic signals will need to be reintroduced and it may take a fraction longer to drive through than it has during the closure. Temporary signals will be used until the full junction opens later in the year.

The signals will be vehicle-activated in the off-peak periods but work on a timer during peak periods to help reduce congestion. They will also be linked to the pedestrian crossing over Novorossiysk Road, which will remain in place for people walking between Forder Valley Road West and South.

There will also be an uncontrolled two-stage pedestrian crossing on Forder Valley Road West, between the Austin Crescent ‘cut-through’ and the footway on the northern side.

We will be monitoring traffic flow over the coming weeks and will tweak the timings as necessary. The reduced 30mph speed limit will remain in place throughout the works area, for everyone’s safety.

Despite the challenges of COVID-19 and Brexit the link road project remains on target for completion this summer. The 140-metre bridge structure is in place across the valley and final surfacing works begin in March.

Kerbs and street lighting are being installed, the retaining wall on Forder Valley Road South is now complete and onsite landscaping works have been significantly progressed. Most of the drainage pond has now been excavated and the materials removed are being reused on site.

The Forder Valley Link Road will create a much-needed alternative link between the A38 and the north of the city. This will help reduce journey times to and from key destinations such as Derriford Hospital, the University of St Mark and St John and Plymouth Science Park and improve bus service reliability.

It forms part of a wider package of measures that are key to unlocking growth in the north of Plymouth, where over 4,000 new homes are planned over the next 15 years. Others have included the Derriford Transport Scheme, Derriford Hospital Interchange and Marjon Link Road.

For regular scheme updates email fvlrcomms@balfourbeatty.com with your name and contact details.