County road chiefs are gearing up to launch a public consultation to replace two ageing bridges on one of the busiest routes in Exeter.
Residents are invited to leave their views on plans to replace the A379 Bridge Road 90-year-old swing bridge and the 54-year-old lifting bridge.
The county council said the aim was install faster more efficient bridges, with work expected to start in spring 2029.
A six-week consultation on the A379 Bridge Road scheme starts on Monday, June 15 and runs until Monday, July 27.
The swing bridge in Exeter is 90 years old and ‘well beyond’ its expected life.
Image: Google Street View.
Devon County Council said consultation feedback will be used to form final plans before an application is submitted at the end of this year.
Public consultation drop-in events are being held at Exeter University Boat Club, Bridge Road, on Tuesday, June, 30, from 3pm to 7pm, and on Wednesday, July 1, 12noon until 5pm.
Devon County Council is proposing:
- Widening shared paths across the bridges,
- Improving crossings,
- Making changes around Matford Roundabout,
- Adding a new bus stop and shelter near King George V Playing Fields.
- Two lanes of traffic in each direction would remain.
DCC said the plans aimed to ‘improve safety, make journeys more reliable, and create better routes for people walking, wheeling, cycling and using the bus’.
Bridge Road, one of the official diversion routes if the M5 is closed, is one of only four city routes across the River Exe.
Since 2020, the bridges have had more than 100 maintenance visits, causing delays for motorists, pedestrians and water users, the county council said.
The authority said the existing bridges were ‘well beyond their expected life’ and modern structures would open faster and more efficiently.
Councillor Dan Thomas, DCC cabinet member for highways, said: “Bridge Road is a key route for Exeter and beyond, but the current bridges are ageing and becoming less reliable. We want to hear from the people who use it so we can shape a scheme that improves safety and helps keep traffic moving.”
Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, DCC cabinet member with responsibility for transport, said: “This consultation also presents an opportunity for people to share their ideas for improving access to bus services, and improving walking, cycling and wheeling links to the Exe Estuary Trail and the neighbouring communities served by Bridge Road.”
Work is not expected to start until spring 2029, subject to approval from the Department for Transport, the county council said.
The online consultation portal is available here.
