Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Merrymeet Roundabout lies on the A30 trunk road at its junction with the A382 at Whiddon Down, between Exeter and Okehampton in Devon. In 2001 the Highways Agency appointed consulting engineers Parsons Brinckerhoff to carry out a study of this junction to investigate possible options for its improvement.

PLAN SHOWING THE LOCATION OF THE MERRYMEET JUNCTION IMPROVEMENTThe existing roundabout has a poor accident record and suffers congestion, particularly at peak times and during the summer period. It is often quoted that on a journey from Carlisle or London to Cornwall via the M4 and M5 motorways, Merrymeet is the first roundabout to be encountered at which motorists must slow down and possibly stop.

As part of the study, an Open Day was held in January 2002 at Whiddon Down Village Hall, so that local residents and other interested parties could view and discuss the study findings and options for future improvements. More than 100 members of the public attended the Open Day. From discussions held, it was clear that the majority of people who attended supported the need for an improvement at the junction. During the Open Day the issue of heavy goods vehicle access to North Tawton was also raised by a significant number of people. As a result, Devon County Council has examined options for improvement of the A3124 junction at Whiddon Down separately.

On 16th October 2002, the Secretary of State for Transport announced a programme to tackle congestion and improve safety at various junctions on the trunk road and motorway network throughout England. This included a scheme developed from the study to replace the Merrymeet Roundabout at Whiddon Down with a new, two-level junction.

Details of the proposed new junction are included in this brochure and will be shown in greater detail at the public exhibition. Before proceeding further with this proposal, we are seeking your views. Devon County Council is also seeking views on its proposals for the Whiddon Down junction improvement and will be holding a complementary exhibition at the village hall on the same day.

Introduction

Proposed junction improvement

PROPOSED JUNCTION IMPROVEMENT

A compact, two-level junction improvement has been developed that would provide unhindered movement for through traffic and, with four new slip roads, would make trunk road access and egress safer. This is considered to be the most suitable option as it also provides the best 'fit' into the landscape and does not impact on Dartmoor National Park, which borders the highway to the south. A new overbridge would connect the side roads where the trunk road is in the ground. Access to Whiddon Down and Okehampton East Service Area would be maintained.

The Secretary of State has indicated that he is minded to adopt this proposed two-level junction as the preferred improvement option unless significant new issues emerge from this consultation.

 

Map

ADVANTAGES

The proposed junction option has several advantages over the other options that were considered and rejected, as follows:

Proposed junction improvement

Rejected options

REJECTED OPTIONS

Other options have been assessed and are shown in outline below, together with the main reasons for their rejection compared with the proposed layout.

OPTION 1


OPTION 2


OPTION 3


OPTION 4

 

Option 4

Rejected options

Public consultation

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

The purpose of this consultation is to present details of the options that have been assessed and to give local people and other interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed junction improvement.

This brochure sets out our reasons for choosing this option and includes a plan of the junction layout.

More detailed information will be displayed at the public exhibition, to be held Whiddon Down Village Hall on 18th January 2003. Staff from the Highways Agency and its consultants, Parsons Brinckerhoff will be at the exhibition to answer questions.

Once you have read brochure, please complete and submit the questionnaire. All questionnaires should be returned by 3rd April 2003. Please note that responses received may be made public unless confidentiality is requested.

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Public consultation

What happens next?

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The consultation stage is very important as it provides local residents and members of the public with the opportunity to comment on the proposed junction improvement. Please visit the public exhibition if you can, or complete and return the questionnaire after reading this brochure.

The consultation period ends on 3rd April 2003 after which we will publish report of the consultation findings. The report will be deposited locally for public viewing and will also be posted on this site. The development and progress of the scheme will then follow the key stages indicated on the flow chart below.

Subject to the outcome of this consultation, the next stage would be to confirm the preferred option. As stated earlier, the Secretary of State has indicated that he is minded to adopt the proposed two-level junction as the preferred option unless significant new issues emerge from this consultation. An announcement is likely to be made in Spring 2003.

The next stage would be to appoint a contractor to carry out further detailed design work leading to the publication of detailed proposals in the form of draft statutory Orders and an Environmental Statement. A public inquiry may follow if there are objections to the published scheme. If there are no objections, we can expect to confirm the Orders allowing construction to start.


What happens next?

Study stages

STUDY STAGES

Study Stages
Study stages

Getting to the venue

GETTING TO THE VENUE

map to venue
Getting to the venue

Questionnaire

QUESTIONNAIRE

This consultation is now closed.

Please contact HAIL for more information

Questionnaire