Overnight closures and lane restrictions coming to Devon's A38 - here's when

National Highways will start work on a series of enhancements along the A38 in Devon next month, as part of an investment of more than £10 million.

The work will include refurbishment of the deteriorating Whitecleave and Mardle viaducts near Buckfastleigh, improved drainage and safety measures between Ivybridge and Lee Mill, clearance of trees affected by ash dieback and other trees posing a safety risk along the route, and improvements to the eastbound road surface between the Peartree interchange and Goodstone junction. The investment will run alongside a scheme to enhance electronic signage on overhead gantries at Kennford.

National Highways said the work would maintain the safety, resilience and reliability of the route, which carries up to 24,000 vehicles daily in each direction and is described as vital to the Devon economy.

The first project, to replace expansion joints and improve drainage on the Whitecleave and Mardle viaducts, will start in September and is expected to be completed by the end of January. The joints are designed to accommodate thermal expansion, contraction and traffic loads within the structures.

Following a number of recent repairs, National Highways is now carrying out a full refurbishment and replacement scheme to improve the long-term reliability of the viaducts and prevent future maintenance closures. Work on the Mardle structure will also address water leaking through the bridge joints and into the abutment chamber.

Repairs to each structure will be carried out in phases. During the works, the A38 will be reduced to a single lane in each direction, with enforceable 40mph speed limits in place for the safety of the workforce and travelling public, and to maintain reliable traffic flows.

Full overnight closures will also be in place on weeknights only, from 8pm to 6am, between 2 September and 24 October, with some additional night closures in November and December, and again from 4 January to 25 January. Diversions will be in place via the A384 and A385 during these closures.

Route manager Ed Halford said many of the structures managed by National Highways were built over half a century ago and now needed renewing or replacing to ensure they remained fit and safe for purpose. He said it was essential to futureproof the viaducts now to ensure their reliability and limit the need for future maintenance work, adding that this, along with the other works and further renewal plans for the A38, represented a significant investment in the route.

He acknowledged that roadworks could impact people's journeys and said National Highways was doing everything it could to minimise disruption by keeping lanes running in each direction during the day and carrying out overnight work when traffic levels were lowest.

He thanked drivers and local communities in advance for their patience and advised people to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys through the works.

The drainage improvements further west, between Ivybridge and Lee Mill, will address a flooding hotspot in the county and improve safety on a section of the A38 where surface water has been evidenced during periods of heavy rain.

This scheme is due to start in November, with a contraflow in place on the dual carriageway until the following October. Further details will be communicated once finalised.

Tree clearance work along the A38 is ongoing.

The resurfacing scheme further east, on a two-and-a-half-mile section of the eastbound A38 between the Peartree and Goodstone junctions, will follow in 2027, after completion of the viaduct scheme.