Disruption expected in major Plymouth roadworks

The latest stage of a £45m road improvement scheme will begin on one of the main routes in and out of Plymouth later.

Long queues of traffic were regularly seen in the first phase of works near Woolwell on the A386 Tavistock Road and the second phase - due to go on for 18 months - is expected to cause significant disruption.

Plymouth City Council said the scheme would bring huge benefits to drivers, bus passengers, cyclists and pedestrians.

A councillor for the area says motorists suffered very long delays during the first phase of work from September 2024 to November 2025 and fears similar problems while the latest work is carried out.

Nicky Hopwood, the Conservative councillor for Woolwell on South Hams District Council, said residents were bracing themselves for the possibility of severe disruption.

She said: "We all understand the work needs doing but we didn't realise the impact on residents would be so significant."

Plymouth City Council acknowledged there would be some delays and said: "Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to deliver work on this scale without causing disruption."

In this second phase of the Woolwell to the George scheme the roundabout at Woolwell is being replaced by a junction with traffic lights and Tavistock Road will be widened.

The work will involve some lane closures and there will be no right turn out of Woolwell Road onto Woolwell Roundabout.

Plymouth City Council said some trees would be removed to widen the road with some of the tree clearance taking place in the winter and "the rest outside bird nesting season later this year".

The council said the work was necessary with 4,400 new homes planned in the north of the city including 2,000 at Woolwell.

It said the scheme would "tackle one of Plymouth's worst traffic bottlenecks and is a vital part of our programme to provide better links to and from the north of Plymouth as it grows".

The third phase of the scheme involves improvements to the George park and ride scheme with a date yet to be set for the start of that work.

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