East Devon commuters struggle to get into work

SNOW UPDATE: COMMUTERS were caught cold trying to get into work this morning (Friday) after heavy snowfall the previous night rendered many of East Devon s main routes almost impassable.

SNOW UPDATE: COMMUTERS were caught cold trying to get into work this morning (Friday) after heavy snowfall the previous night rendered many of East Devon's main routes almost impassable.

With very little snow settling in either Exmouth or Budleigh Salterton many motorists chanced it driving into work - but soon found the main routes hit by severe delays.

Despite heavy gritting of the roads motorists driving on the B3716 going north to Newton Poppleford found that metre-by-metre conditions got progressively worse.

And on turning left onto the main Exeter Road, the A3052, West of Newton Poppleford, traffic had slowed to a snails pace.

Drivers were limited to speeds of just 15 miles an hour and the delays were exacerbated by a broken branches littering the road that had broken off under the weight of the previous night's snow.

There were also delays of up to two hours on the A376 from Exmouth - with traffic from Lympstone stop start.

One driver, Pat Smith from Exeter Road, Exmouth, chose to use the A376 to get to work Exeter Airport Business Park, choosing to avoid her normal route over Woodbury Common.

It took her an hour-and-a-half to complete the journey: "The traffic was moving between Exmouth and Lympstone, and then it just slowed right down.

"It took an hour to get to the Granada services at junction 30 - huge articulated lorries and HGV's were parked on the roundabout, which added to the slow movement of the traffic.

"I took that route because I thought Woodbury common would be impassable.

"I thought it was best to stay on the main road, but I was surprised how slow the traffic was moving.

"Once I got past the roundabout the traffic was moved freely again."

Surprisingly however traffic on Woodbury Common was relatively free moving.