Major roadworks affect Torbay

Roadworks could disrupt coaches travelling to popular coach holiday resort Torbay in Devon over the next couple of months.

Alan Payling of Torbay’s Coach Drivers Information Pack has told Bus and Coach Buyer that as the resort starts to see coach parties return, the roadworks and disruptive road closures could cause problems and delays for visiting coach drivers unaware of what is going on.

The sea front route between Torquay & Paignton is one of the major roads that is affected due to work to completely replace a railway bridge on Torbay Road (A3022) by Wheatridge Lane. Work here should be completed by 8 March. Also, in Torwood Street (A379) just off Torquay harbour, a stretch of road has been closed in order to completely reconstruct the road surface. This work should be completed before the end of March. Diversions are in place at both locations but could cause difficulties and delays for coach drivers.

“I would strongly advise coach drivers to avoid the seafront road between Paignton and Torquay” – Alan Payling

Alan Payling said: “I would strongly advise coach drivers to avoid the seafront road between Paignton and Torquay. I would also suggest that coach drivers avoid the harbour area in Torquay. There will of course be delays as traffic has to use diversion routes. However, I wouldn’t take a coach on some of the back streets that are being used as diversion routes even if I was the only vehicle driving that way.

“Now that all the local traffic is using these diversion routes, getting through some of the tight spots could cause serious delays. I would therefore suggest that coach traffic uses the ring road (A380).

“For example, coach traffic based in Babbacombe heading for days out in Totnes, Dartmouth and Plymouth that would normally go through Paignton should instead use the ring road.

“Coach parties based in Paignton heading for Dawlish, Teignmouth and Exeter should use the ring road to then pick up routes to their destinations.

“Anybody heading from Paignton to Dawlish who goes along the seafront road will end up having to drive through two unsuitable diversion routes which could cause serious delays due to the level of traffic and the unsuitable nature of the back streets they will have to use. Coach drivers staying in central Torquay should head back out on the A380 and pick up a route from there.”

The roadworks are planned to be completed by March. But with 28 coach parties in resort for five day holidays recently and with many coach operators planning on visiting the area, whenever possible, coach drivers are advised to head in and out of the area on the ring road.

• For further information, contact Alan Payling on 01803 325 369 or [email protected] for updates and advice on routes.