Plymouth City Council has apologised to the city’s residents over the ongoing delays in and around Stonehouse following the closure of the Evolution Cove – and issued a plea to drivers caught up in delays to be patient and not jump traffic lights.
In a statement on its website, the local authority said it “recognises the frustration this is causing for residents, businesses and people travelling through the area”.
The building was evacuated on March 20 over fears it could collapse. Then on Friday (April 17), an exclusion zone was put in place around the block and residents living nearby were encouraged to leave their homes.
Yesterday (Saturday April 18) a spokesperson for Plymouth City Council confirmed that engineers were continuing to assess the building’s condition and said nothing would change until that assessment was complete.
The council said there is no specific timeframe for how long that assessment could take, insisting that “safety is the authority’s main priority”.
The closure and exclusion zone have led to traffic issues in the Stonehouse area of the city.
Plymouth City Council has today issued an update on the ongoing situation.
In a post on its Facebook page, the local authority aid: “We are sorry for the continued disruption in and around Stonehouse following the closure of the Evolution Cove building and we recognise the frustration this is causing for residents, businesses and people travelling through the area.
“Today we have been working closely with Citybus and have removed street furniture to see if it is possible to enable buses to safely pass through the affected roads, particularly to support travel to and from Royal William Yard. While it has not yet been possible to resume bus services, we will continue working with Citybus tomorrow and hope to find a solution as soon as we can.”
Map of the exclusion zone around the Evolution Cove building in Plymouth (Image: Plymouth City Council )
The council added that “adjustments” have been made to the traffic signals to improve vehicle movement and increase capacity through the area.
It said that further advance warning signage will be installed before rush hour tomorrow morning to better advise drivers of delays before they reach Stonehouse.
On its website it also asked drivers not to be impatient or inconsiderate and asked they do not “jump the red lights” in frustration.
The council added: “While we appreciate the inconvenience this is causing, we are asking all road users not to jump traffic lights. This behaviour is dangerous and contributes to further congestion and delays for everyone. We continue to explore additional ways to manage traffic and reduce disruption, and highways officers will be on site to monitor traffic conditions and take action where possible to improve flow.
“Despite these efforts, there will continue to be heavy traffic and delays, particularly at peak times. Where possible, we strongly encourage people to consider alternative travel arrangements, such as using the ferry service from the Hoe to Royal William Yard, and to allow extra time for their journeys.
“We are sorry for the ongoing disruption and thank everyone for their continued patience and cooperation while we work to manage the situation as safely and effectively as possible.”