From Monday 15 April 2024, planned drainage works will be taking place at Hellevoetsluis Way in Torquay, which will cause some traffic disruption, with the work expected to take around ten days.

To protect the workers and enable safe movement of works machinery and deliveries to the site on this dual carriageway, there will be some single lane closures and a temporary reduced speed limit of 40mph. The works, between the Gallows Gate roundabout and the Preston Down Road roundabout, are to clear silt and vegetation on the French drains – these are the long ditches in verges beside the road which are filled with gravel type material and allow the surface water from the road to drain away. They are beside long lengths of Hellevoetsluis Way on both sides of the road, including the central reservation.

This work was previously carried out around ten years ago and due to the long lengths of the French drain now being obscured with silt and vegetation, the time has come to carry out the works again. The work, managed by SWISCo, will be carried out by sub-contractor Cormac and their traffic management sub-contractor Core Highways.

Although traffic will continue to flow in both directions, some delays will be expected at peak times.

Councillor Adam Billings, Cabinet Member for Pride in Place, Transport and Parking, said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused by these essential drainage works but we are working to minimise disruption with single lane closures on both sides to allow the traffic to continue to flow, and the timing of after the Easter holidays was chosen deliberately as the school holidays are traditionally a busier time for the Bay.”