Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

THE A38

For thousands of years the Nile has been the central highway of the ancient civilisation of Egypt; the Trans-Siberian railway when completed brought a sense of community to the vast rolling spaces of twentieth century Russia, but for those of us living around these parts – we’ve got the A38!

Let’s face it, if you live in Plympton, Plymstock or Ivybridge, or the small villages all around, the Devon Expressway (to give it it’s official title) is a pretty important part of our lives.

And the powers that be are doing a major review of it and they have sought my opinion on how well it works and whether changes are necessary. So I am seeking your views. We have until the 30th April 2004 to send in any comments, and I am keen to do so. In particular I want to focus on the part that snakes through my constituency from Marsh Mills Roundabout to the Woodpecker pub just before South Brent.

Compared to many arterial highways the A38 works well. It can get snarled up in rush hour and there have been far too many accidents in recent years. So what can be done about it?

I have a couple of points. There have been a number of nasty accidents around the Deep Lane junction in the past few years and it seems to me a very fast exit coming from the Exeter direction. It must be a nightmare for bicycles and other slow moving traffic going on towards Plymouth when cars are turning off at speed to go to Plympton.

I have witnessed a number of near misses where three lanes become two on the way to Ivybridge and too many drivers treat it as a virility test to try and get one over on the car in front that is only doing seventy (i.e. the speed limit!). I also wonder whether the small slip road that runs past the Lynham pub adds to the problem.

Further on the road seems to work extremely well, but you may have other ideas.

These major reviews do not happen very often, so now is our chance to have our say. If there is ever a new development at Sherford/Deep Lane, this road can only get busier – so now would be a good time to make improvements. Over to you. Safe motoring!

posted by Nigel on Monday, April 19, 2004