Months of disruption for motorists has come to an end after an East Devon link road closed since January has now reopened.
The county council announced on Friday (May 8) the road between Tipton St John and The Bowd, in East Devon, had reopened with temporary traffic lights in place following extensive repairs.
Devon County Council (DCC) said the temporary traffic lights will allow for further structural work to be carried out, which is expected to end by July.
Councillor Jess Bailey, Devon County Councillor for Otter Valley, said: “This road is a really important link for the Otter Valley and its closure has been extremely disruptive for residents and businesses in the area.
“I am absolutely delighted that the road could be re-opened under traffic lights whilst the works are being completed.
“This has been a large project and I am very grateful to the engineers at Devon County Council for all their hard work in getting the road back in action.”
The county council closed the road for safety reasons in late January after a section partially collapsed during Storm Chandra when the supporting embankment failed.
After months of work, the road has been rebuilt and a new 18-metre retaining wall has been constructed to support the stretch of highway.
Temporary traffic lights are in place while work to build a wall is completed nearby, after the authority found a roadside embankment starting to slip.
A Devon County Council spokesman said: “While the road closure was in place, work also started on a nearby section of the road, around 400 metres away.
“This stretch was starting to show signs of the supporting embankment beginning to slip, and temporary works have been undertaken. This will now allow a new retaining wall to be constructed which will prevent structural damage.”
He added: “Although the work on this section is continuing, the remaining elements can be carried out under temporary traffic lights over the coming weeks to minimise the impact on the public.”
“The scheme is expected to be completed by July.”
