Barnstaple downstream bridge opened

In an earlier post I had reported on the good progress made on some vital road schemes in Devon and Cornwall. Of these one has been completed and opened in the past week (Barnstaple's western bypass and downstream bridge) whilst shortly before that a substantial part of the A30 diversion in mid Cornwall around the north of Goss Moor came into operation.

The traffic jams in Barnstaple had been notorious for years: it is I suppose the major hub for roads in North Devon. Constant slow moving traffic really blights many of our old towns so I imagine the bypass is a great relief to the locals. And hopefully it might give Ilfracombe a bit of a boost by encouraging investors into that easily forgotten town now that travelling there will be less fraught. There has been a constantly updated website devoted to the construction of the bridge - good use of the internet methinks.

Regarding Goss Moor the section of new road opened avoids the low bridge carrying the Newquay branch line so no more news items of lorries getting jammed under it with all the ensuing problems. (Did HGV drivers ever get prosecuted for driving without due care and attention? They certainly should have as the low bridge is well signed). There is more work to do at the ends of this project so that it won't be fully open till later in the summer but at least the greater part of the contract is now complete.