Heavitree Road bus works to begin in Exeter next month with weeks of closures planned

Heavitree Road is set for several weeks of closures and delays from next month, as major bus improvement work gets underway on a scheme designed to make bus journeys faster and more reliable.

Devon County Council has confirmed that work will start on Monday 2 February 2026 and is expected to take around four weeks. 

The scheme will see a new traffic island built and new traffic signals installed at the end of the outbound bus lane between Grendon Road and the Polsloe Road/Barrack Road junction.

The new signals will give buses priority as they approach the junction, helping services travelling towards Heavitree Fore Street or turning into Barrack Road to move through the area more easily. 

The council says the scheme will reduce delays, improve reliability and cut overall bus journey times in Exeter, and is being funded through the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan. 

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This plan has awarded Devon County Council more than £5.19 million in capital funding and £5.16 million in revenue funding for 2025–26 to support bus priority measures and transport improvements across the city and wider county.

Residents and commuters are being warned to expect disruption throughout February. 

The works will be carried out in phases, including overnight road closures between 7pm and 7am during the first two weeks, followed by daytime and night-time eastbound lane closures, and a final week involving both daytime lane restrictions and overnight full road closures.

During closures, traffic will be diverted via Magdalen Road, Barrack Road, Topsham Road, Holloway Street, Magdalen Street, Western Way and Heavitree Road. 

On-street parking will also be temporarily suspended from Monday 2 February 2026 on Heavitree Road between Grendon Road and Polsloe Road/Barrack Road. 

The council has said resurfacing work on this stretch of road will be carried out at the same time to avoid further disruption later in the year.

Devon County Council has acknowledged that the scheme will add to existing disruption in Heavitree. Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said residents’ patience is appreciated but the benefits will be long-lasting.

“It’s appreciated that there has been a fair bit of disruption to journeys around Heavitree over the past year and this is also likely to cause some delays,” she said. 

“However, these roadworks to increase priority for buses will make a significant difference to bus journeys going forward and improve journey times overall.”

Local county councillor Thomas Richardson, who represents St Sidwell’s & St James, said the scheme is part of a wider effort to tackle congestion in a city built for far less traffic.

“Whilst there will be short-term disruption during these works, the long-term impact of improving bus services in Exeter and reducing congestion at the Heavitree Road/Barrack Road junction is a win for everyone,” he said.

Bus operator Stagecoach South West has welcomed the improvements, describing them as vital for keeping services moving in a congested city. 

Managing Director Peter Knight said the new traffic signals will help buses pass through the junction more efficiently.

“These improvements come at a vital time, as Exeter is now recognised as one of the UK’s most congested cities,” he said. 

“Exeter was recently ranked as the eighth most congested city in the UK, highlighting the importance of measures that support public transport.”

Stagecoach said it will keep passengers informed throughout the works via the Stagecoach app, website and on-street information at affected bus stops, and will continue to manage services daily to minimise disruption where possible.

The council expects the scheme to be completed by the end of February 2026, subject to conditions. 

Once finished, the improvements are intended to ease pressure at the Heavitree Road/Barrack Road junction, support public transport use and deliver more reliable journeys for bus passengers across Exeter.