This evening’s high tide and strong winds could cause more problems
Work continues in Torcross after the A379 cracked and broke apart(Image: Devon County Council)
Devon County Council is urging people to “stay away” as it works against the clock to repair a collapsed coastal road.
The A379, also known as the Slapton Line, cracked and broke apart after multiple rounds of bad weather hit the county in recent weeks.
Overnight on Monday, February 2, part of the road connecting Torcross and Slapton slipped down the shore towards the sea following yet another onslaught from Mother Nature.
Efforts to protect remaining sections of the A379 are continuing today (Wednesday, February 4) and people are being advised to stay away from damaged sections of the road and areas where work is taking place.
Stretches of the road and part of South Hams District Council’s Torcross “tank” car park were washed away on Monday evening.
Although no additional damage was reported from last night (Tuesday, February 3), concerns have been raised that this evening’s high tide and forecast strong winds could cause problems.
Devon County Council said its highways teams is continuing their work to shore up the remaining section of road at Torcross to prevent further collapse this evening and to try and stop the Ley being breached at high tide.
With additional rock protection being brought to the area today and heavy machinery in constant use, the county council is asking people to keep a safe distance from the site and from damaged sections of road.
Parking at Torcross and the public right of way along the road between Torcross and Slapton are being suspended by the County Council.
Councillor Dan Thomas, County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Leader of South Hams District Council, said: “There will be a time to support the community in Torcross, but for now the most helpful thing people can do is give our teams space to make the area safe. It’s simply not safe for people to be near the site where our teams are working.
“There’s a lot of activity going on and they’re working hard to protect what’s left of the road and the car park.
“Even some of the sections of road which currently remain in place may have been undercut by the sea, so they may not be safe to walk on. I would urge everyone to please stay at a safe distance and let them get on with it. The barriers on the road are there for your safety.”
Councillor Julian Brazil, Devon County Council Leader and county councillor for Kingsbridge, was in Westminster yesterday calling on Government for financial support for Devon to deal with the aftermath of the winter storms.
He said: “We’re asking Government to help with the cost of the clean-up and also to help with making our infrastructure more resilient.
“As a county we can’t afford the amount of money we need to invest to protect our infrastructure. Whether it’s at Slapton, Dawlish, or branch lines to Barnstaple and Okehampton, we need government support and we’ve got to get our fair share.”
Caroline Voaden MP (Liberal Democrat, South Devon) also raised the issue in the House of Commons, urging the government to pledge emergency funding to help ensure repairs can be carried out.