The first phase of work on the Woolwell to The George scheme is now entering its final stages.

Work to date has included major utility diversions, new drainage and significant excavations for the new junction at Woolwell Crescent, as well as the construction of a retaining wall on Tavistock Road.

Current activity on site includes completing the central reservation works and the new two-way cycle track on Tavistock Road between Woolwell Crescent and Woolwell Roundabout, topsoiling the bank alongside Tesco and surfacing the road and footways overnight.

They have also taken the opportunity to accelerate some widening works south of Woolwell Roundabout, which will support the next phase of the project.

Phase one is now planned to finish in early November, at which point the right turn from Tavistock Road into Woolwell Road (at Woolwell Roundabout) will reopen.

The new junction at Woolwell Crescent will also then open, providing improved access to and from the Woolwell area and taking some traffic away from Woolwell Road.

Councillor John Stephens, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “This is a complex scheme on a very busy corridor and we are pleased to be nearing completion on phase one – on budget and only slightly later than planned – despite a number of unexpected challenges with underground services and other difficult site conditions.

“We’re also really pleased to be able to reopen the right turn from Woolwell Roundabout into Woolwell Road, which we know will be very welcome news to drivers.

“The project team have been programming work to accommodate this and are confident the turning can remain open for at least some months into the phase two work but this will be monitored.”

The programme and traffic management plan for phase two, which involves widening Tavistock Road between Woolwell Roundabout and the George Park and Ride, as well as replacing Woolwell Roundabout with a new signalised junction, are still being finalised but details will be made available soon.

As we did for phase one, we will hold public information events in advance of the start of this next phase, where members of the team will be available to explain the works and how we plan to deliver them.

In the meantime, the temporary traffic regulation order banning the right turn at Woolwell Roundabout for everyone except emergency vehicles and buses is being extended to allow us to complete phase one.

This extension will also mean we can reintroduce the ban should there be significant queuing on Tavistock Road and back across the moors when phase two starts.

The temporary reduction of the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph between Belliver (Plessey) Roundabout and the George Junction will remain in place throughout the scheme works.

The transport problems in this area go as far back as the late 1970s.

In 1979, when Devon County Council identified the need to dual from Derriford Roundabout to Roborough.

Widening along the A386 between Woolwell and The George Junction featured annually within Devon County Council’s Transport Policies and Programme submission for many years.

his was followed by the 2011-16 Local Transport Plan and in 2019 both Plymouth and South West Devon adopted a new Joint Local Plan which led to the current work.