Work is starting to alter the entrance to Plymouth’s rail station as the city’s new Brunel Plaza continues to take shape.
Station Approach is to be radically altered to allow vehicles to get in and out of the new multi-storey car park without passing in front of the station.
The entire area around the station is undergoing a complete transformation. The University of Plymouth is currently converting the tower block above the station to become InterCity Place, a first-class new home for its healthcare teaching and research, and significant improvements are ongoing in and around the station concourse.
Work around Station Approach will start on September 12 and will go on until the beginning of December.
A roundabout will be built at the top of Station Approach where it meets North Road East and the approach will also be widened.
Contractors South West Highways will carry out the work on behalf of the Council and aim to cause as little disruption as possible.
However there will be a four week period – from 19 September until 14 October – when a section of Station Approach will be closed to traffic. (Access will be maintained for pedestrians and cyclists.)
When this phase of the project starts, people wanting to drive to the train station will need to follow diversions which will take them down Welbeck Avenue and onto Glen Park Avenue.
The project team is working closely with partners Network Rail, GWR, the University of Plymouth and their contractor Kier on scenario planning, including ensuring there is enough room for rail replacement coaches to manoeuvre. As a result a number of parking bays will be temporarily suspended in both Glen Park Avenue and Welbeck Avenue to make sure bigger vehicles can negotiate the road.
To counter the loss of spaces, pay and display parking in Welbeck Avenue, Winston Avenue and Derry Avenue is being temporarily suspended and converted to permit holders only for the duration of the work, creating 23 bays for residents.
A number of pay and display bays along North Road East – from Houndiscombe Road to Station Approach – will also be suspended creating nine additional spaces for resident permit holders.
There will be frequent inspections to make sure the route remains clear.
Cabinet Member for Transport Councillor Jonathan Drean said: “Brunel Plaza is an incredibly complex project but will completely transform the welcoming experience to Plymouth as well as create amazing facilities for the next generation of medical professionals.
“The project team have been working hard to find alternative spaces for residents with permits and we hope this important work will not cause too much inconvenience for people living nearby.”
Letters are being sent to residents and businesses informing them about the work and the diversions but reassuring them that they will still be able to park within the boundaries of their existing permit scheme as well as the extra locations.