Junction improvements planned for Outland Road

Work to upgrade junctions and reduce congestion along Plymouth’s Outland Road will get under way early next year.

The Northern Corridor Junction Improvement Scheme will see more modern and efficient signals installed on the Peverell Park Road, Weston Park Road and Tor Lane junctions, along with new and improved crossing facilities and better priority for cyclists.

The right-hand lane on the inbound side of the road (just past Morrisons) will also be extended to create more space for traffic waiting to turn right into Ham Drive. This will help to ease the overspill that often blocks traffic heading towards the city centre.

Partly funded through the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) Growth Deal, the scheme will improve traffic flow, journey times and bus service reliability along this busy route. Later phases will provide further junction improvements along Mannamead Road.

The scheme is part of the ‘master plan’ of highway improvements that will help unlock development and deliver 9,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes in the north of the city, complementing other transport schemes along Plymouth’s Northern Corridor including the Derriford Transport Scheme and Forder Valley Link Road.

Scheme designs are currently being worked up and public consultation will take place in January before final designs are agreed. Work is expected to begin in February or March and will take around six months.

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport and Planning, said: “This road is on the main route to and from the north of the city and one of our busiest. It’s really important to keep traffic flowing and support greener options such as public transport, walking and cycling as Plymouth continues to grow.

“By investing in more responsive and efficient traffic signals and providing more space for vehicles turning into Ham Drive, we hope to reduce a lot of the queueing we see, particularly during peak times. We are also making it safer and easier for people to walk and cycle along this busy route.”

The decision to add the scheme to our capital programme was made under delegated authority today and may be called in for scrutiny.