Extra buses laid on as one lane to shut on Tamar Bridge

ONE of the central lanes on the Tamar Bridge will be shut to traffic from tomorrow (August 2) as a new phase of major maintenance work begins.

A free 24-hour shuttlebus service for pedestrians, cyclists and mobility scooter users will be brought in to help people cross the bridge, while traffic is managed and the work to replace the bridge deck waterproofing system and kerbs is going on.

Tamar Crossings has also reached an agreement with Plymouth Citybus to provide extra scheduled bus services between the Saltash and Plymouth sides of the crossing, to help ensure social distancing.

These buses will also provide space for class one and two mobility scooters and a small number of bikes, and will run every 15 minutes between 6am and 7pm, and every 30 minutes in the evenings and overnight.

‘While we recognise that the closure of one of the lanes on the main deck will inevitably have an impact on local traffic, the current levels of traffic are still well below the normal levels for this time of year. This will help to moderate any delays,’ said a Tamar Crossings spokesperson.

‘We would advise all pedestrians, cyclists and those using mobility scooters to use either the shuttle bus or the Plymouth Citybus service to cross the bridge.

‘This is particularly important for cyclists as it helps them to avoid the unnecessary hazard of cycling through the heavy traffic on the bridge during morning and evening commutes.’