Resurfacing work takes place on North Devon Link Road from Tuesday

MAJOR resurfacing work is due to start on the North Devon Link Road from tomorrow.

Following damage caused by the severe winter weather, patching was carried out earlier this year on the eastbound carriageway of the A361 between Gornhay and Sampford Peverell, as well as on the three lane section west of the River Exe viaduct to Stoodleigh Cross.

Now a further £900,000 is being invested in surface dressing both areas in order to protect the initial repairs.

Weather permitting, work between Bolham Road roundabout and the Gornhay interchange is due to take place overnight from 7pm to 7am on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 June, to allow the contractor to work on both lanes of the eastbound carriageway.

Further overnight works, during the same hours, will be carried out from Friday 10 to Monday 13 June between the Sellake Farm overbridge and Junction 27.

The work will then be completed on the eastbound stretch from Gornhay interchange to the Sellake Farm overbridge scheme, from Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 June using a daytime contra-flow on the westbound carriageway.

In the area from the River Exe viaduct to Stoodleigh Cross, the full width of the three lane section requires treatment which will mean that overnight road closures will be needed between 7pm and 7am from Monday 13 June to Saturday 18 June. The work will be carried out over seven nights, subject to weather conditions.

Eastbound traffic will be diverted at Newtown via The Blackcat, Bampton, with westbound traffic leaving the A361 at Bolham Road, Tiverton, and following the diversion in the reverse direction.

The road will be re-opened from 7am to 7pm, but speed restrictions and traffic management will be in place to ensure that the newly laid surface can bed-in. Lines and cats eyes will then be replaced using daytime lane restrictions.

Contractor Colas will carry out the work using a special fibre reinforced surface dressing which is designed to combat cracking or "crazing", which has affected the existing surface.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: "Following the structural repairs and patching, it's important that the road is sealed, to safeguard the investment on this section of the road.

"The work is weather dependant but it has been planned in order to be cost effective and to keep disruption to a minimum."