Popular section of Devon trail to close for three months as boardwalk 'deteriorating'

A popular trail in Devon will be closed for three months after a boardwalk was found to be deteriorating.

Devon County Council announced the closure of a section of the Exe Estuary Trail between Lympstone and Exmouth.

It comes after an inspection found that all 74 wooden spans - which are effectively little bridges which support The Courtlands Boardwalk - need replacing.

Work is due to start on Monday 18 September and the trail route will remain shut until the end of the year.

They will be replaced with a more durable, fibre-reinforced material.

Councillor Stuart Hughes of Devon County Council said: "This an extensive scheme as the full length of boardwalk has to be taken up and replaced to ensure it does not become unsafe for use.

"We have no choice but to close this section of the trail for the duration of the scheme but every effort will be made to keep disruption to a minimum.

"The fibre-reinforced material which is being installed is made from over 500,000 recycled bottles and has a much longer lifespan than wood, so hopefully it will mean that it won’t need another major overhaul for many, many years.”

A signed diversion route will be in place enabling pedestrians to use a different footpath on Exeter Road.

Cyclists will need to cross over Exeter Road and follow the slightly longer route which avoids cycling on the main road.

A temporary crossing will be located next to the petrol station to provide an additional safe crossing for this route.

Information boards have been placed along the trail to warn users of the upcoming closure dates and information about the scheme.