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£13.6m Pledge For Devon And Somerset's Roads

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     Five new transport projects in Devon and Somerset have been approved today by the Government, following a bid for funding by the Heart of the South West (HotSW) Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The new road improvement projects, worth £13.6m, have been offered money under Pinch Point Funding – a nationwide fund of £217m designed to be used at key problem points on the Highways Agency network to boost the economy, reduce congestion and improve safety.
The agreed projects are:

  • A38 Drumbridges roundabout improvement, Newton Abbott - increasing capacity, installing traffic signals and constructing a pedestrian and cycle bridge. Cost £4.1m. Starts 2014, ends 2015.
  • A38/A380 Splatford Split improvement - reduce congestion by creating an additional lane for traffic merging with the A38 from the A380.  Cost £5.5m. Starts 2014, ends 2015.
  • M5 junction 30 slip road improvement, Exeter - reducing congestion by widening the southbound exit slip road and improving traffic signals. Cost £0.9m. Starts 2014, ends 2014.
  • A38 Manadon slip road improvement, Plymouth  - reducing congestion by widening and lengthening the entry slip roads onto the A38. Cost £1.8m. Starts 2014, ends 2014.
  • A303 Cartgate roundabout improvement, Yeovil - reduce congestion by providing two dedicated left-turn lanes form the A303 westbound to the A3088 towards Yeovil and the A3088 from Yeovil to the A303 westbound. Cost £1.3m. Starts 2014, ends 2014.

The investment is part of a programme to remove bottlenecks and keep traffic moving on England's motorways and major A roads.  A total of 57 schemes have been announced across the country today - the economic benefit of these schemes is estimated at around £3 billion.
Today's announcement brings the total number of schemes to receive investment from the Government's pinch point fund to 65. A third phase of projects will be announced next year.
Tim Jones, Chairman for Heart of the South West said: “We are really pleased that funding has been awarded to so many road improvement projects in this area – it will make a real difference to the economy of the Heart of the South West.
“Although some tough choices were necessary, full account of business needs were vital in our final selection. “In addition we worked we worked closely with the Local Transport Authorities to prepare the bid and identified key routes that needed funding - we also took into account the views of public sector throughout the bidding process.”
Adam Chambers, Chief Executive Officer of Peninsula Enterprise said: “This is fantastic news for the area and will help to grow the economy and reduce congestion.
“Providing this improvement to infrastructure is the type of support that is critical for business development.
“It’s crucial that we keep traffic moving – removing bottlenecks and keeping people moving is a key way of powering the economy.”
ENDS

Emma : Coast Communications

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