Work to start on A361 bridge repairs

Essential bridge refurbishment is due to start on the A361 on Monday 28 September and is expected to take around four months.

Devon County Council will be replacing the failed expansion joint on the River Exe Viaduct, west of Bolham Roundabout in Tiverton, while also waterproofing the bridge deck, which is required every 25 to 30 years. Work is expected to be completed by January 2016.

Since November 2014, a temporary cover plate has been in place on the expansion joint and speed restrictions have been imposed to help prevent further damage to the structure.

The County Council has been working closely with term maintenance contractor SWH Ltd to ensure the traffic management causes minimal disruption.

Eastbound traffic, heading towards Tiverton/M5, will be diverted onto the B3227 and A396 via Cove for the duration of the work. Traffic heading westbound away from Tiverton, towards South Molton, will be undisrupted for the majority of the scheme, except for a number of overnight closures which will be necessary.

The road will be fully closed overnight during certain operations, with both west and eastbound traffic diverted via Cove. The scheme will start with the first closure from midnight to 6am on the morning of Monday 28 September. It will close again from 7pm on Monday 28 September, re-opening 6am the following morning.

As the scheme progresses, dates for upcoming night time closures will be displayed on advance warning signs on site.