THE recent unfortunate closure of Denham Bridge

necessarily caused a great deal of inconvenience for both

residents and people that use this rat-run on a regular

basis.

However, as a local resident and frequent user of this road

I have nothing but praise for the South West Highways and

the way in which they have handled the situation from the

start to finish.

They provided good explanatory signage for the essential

works and the repairs have been carried out as quickly as

possible, with divers having to recover capping stones

from a fast flowing river and masons rebuilding the walls

in appalling weather conditions. If the bridge had not

been closed for these works to be carried out in a safe

manner that too would have had serious implications and

caused objections.

With reference to better permanent signage, it would

appear that many drivers take no notice of the signs

already provided, so would more signs really help? Every

country lane now has enormous lorries thundering past at

regular intervals, something everyone has to endure. We

are more likely to suffer a severe traffic accident with the

sheer speed that traffic moves through these very narrow,

bendy lanes. The volume of traffic using this road has

increased so much over the last twenty years and it was

simply not built to cope with so much.

Well done to the South West Highways, Tavistock, team for

working throughout the weekend and completing the

works so well and so speedily, in such dreadful

conditions, in order to reopen the road as soon as

possible.

S M Whitfield

Buckland Monachorum