Devon County Council has reduced a period of upcoming roadworks on the B3257 from nine days to five, following vehement backlash from local residents, businesses and councillors on the Bere peninsula.

The county council has confirmed that road resurfacing work on the B3257, which will shut the route between Tavistock Cross (near Bere Alston) and Orestocks, will now take place from Monday, August 14 to Friday, August 18.

The upcoming work was originally scheduled to take place from Monday, August 14 up to Thursday, August 24 but has now been reduced following an outcry from those on the Bere peninsula about the predicted chaos work over such a period would cause, with the only route on and off the peninsula during the time the resurfacing is completed being via Denham Bridge, with those wishing to travel to Tavistock or Gulworthy having to take a circuitous route through narrow lanes which do not allow for two vehicles to pass in either direction simultaneously in several places.

The county council, now cognisant of the widespread disruption this will cause, is attempting to minimise inconvenience by deploying extra resources to complete the resurfacing more quickly — weather permitting.

The council confirmed this will be done by: bringing in a second gang and paver on the Wednesday and Thursday and proposing to hold the traffic by means of gatemen, at the narrow section of the diversion route by Denham Bridge, letting only one batch of traffic through at a time (reportedly alternating every six minutes) to avoid vehicles meeting and as an alternative to using signals, only at this location. Furthermore, as the diversion is not suitable for large vehicles, the council has already agreed that HGVs, buses and large agricultural vehicles will be able to pass slowly through the section of the B3257 under escort (although delays must be expected) and that the road will remain closed overnight for safety reasons, as some areas of the patching works are both deep and across the carriageway.

The council is also urging for small private vehicles to continue using the official diversion route throughout the five days where possible.