A ‘DANGEROUS’ zebra crossing on Plymouth Road is to be upgraded next month (October).

The crossing outside Texaco Garage on the busy road has long been an area of concern for pedestrians who felt it had become ‘increasingly dangerous’ over the years.

Numerous incidents have occurred at the site including just last year which saw a car collide with a man on the zebra crossing. The man was then hospitalised.

The crossing is in plain sight of forecourt attendants at Texaco Garage who have said they witness approximately two to three near misses each week.

The zebra crossing will be replaced with a higher standard ‘puffin’ crossing, which includes traffic lights. A puffin crossing has sensors on top of the lights, which detect if pedestrians are crossing slowly and can hold the red traffic light longer if needed.

Temporary traffic lights will again be used while the puffin crossing installation is completed between Tuesday, November 5 and Thursday, November 7.

Debo Sellis, Devon County Councillor for Tavistock and Gulworthy, said: ‘This improvement is needed. Too many people have been injured or frightened on this crossing. Highway officers, residents and I worked together, and the traffic surveys confirmed a higher standard of puffin crossing was needed. The works will cause some disruption to road users, however, in the long run it will be for the good.’

The upgrade is part of a five-week scheme of improvements planned on a section of the A386 near Tavistock.

On October 7 and 8, mobile stop and go boards will be in use while hedge cutting and gully emptying is carried out.

Temporary traffic lights will then be in place from Thursday, October 10 to Monday, October 28 when work will be carried out on the crossing, tactile paving and signs. A temporary pedestrian crossing will be in use.

During this phase of the scheme, work will be restricted to daytime hours and there will be no weekend working.

Overnight road closures will be in place from Tuesday, October 29 to Monday, November 4, while the road is reconstructed.

Around 600 metres of Plymouth Road, from Morrisons supermarket roundabout to north of the Texaco garage, will be resurfaced. 

A diversion route will be signposted. Shops within the scheme area will be open and pedestrian access will be maintained during the scheme