CONTRACTORS have started work on the long-awaited new £6.2million link road in Dawlish. 

Teignbridge Council has announced that the road is ‘taking shape’.

Work began on the link road and bridge at the end of August which will give access to an 860 development of new homes near Secmaton Lane.

The scheme has been in the pipeline for more than four years. 

Teignbridge Council says it will provide a ‘key link’ to the A379 Exeter Road and that the project is on track to be completed by the middle of next year.

Devon County Council is working in partnership with Teignbridge District Council to manage the design and construction of the new bridge and section of road west of the A379 within the Shutterton area of Dawlish.

In 2019 Teignbridge District Council was awarded £4.9m funding via Homes England’s HIF towards the provision of a new bridge and section of a new road linking the A379 at Sainsbury’s roundabout to Elm Grove Road.

The HIF is a government capital grant programme that seeks to assist the delivery of new infrastructure in connection with the construction of new homes in areas of greatest housing demand.

The Dawlish HIF infrastructure scheme was allocated through the Teignbridge local plan 2013 to 2033, alongside the 860 homes.

The scheme is to provide direct access to more than 400 new homes at Secmaton Farm and Swan Park in Dawlish. 

A statement from Devon County Council says there has been ‘considerable progress’ since 2019. 

This incudes planning permission granted for homes either side of the Shutterton Brook as well as associated sections of the link road.

The first section of road is now complete through Swan Park by Persimmon Homes. 

Legal agreements have also been completed with Devon County Council and the land owners enabling construction of the bridge and road to go ahead. 

And additional contributions from the developers have been secured to meet the remaining cost of the project.