Cycle path dangerously overgrown

Feb 2021 I reported this issue. As a cycling commuter using this path five days a week for the last 18 years this is a situation that has never been addressed in all of that time.

The buildup of dirt and grass growing over a 4 foot wide path has reduced it to only 1 foot wide in a place or two. This forces passing cyclists to stop, dismount or pass dangerously close to the oncoming 70mph traffic 2 feet away the other side of the gutter. I include a copy of the response given to me last February. However no attendance has been seen.

Work is going on in this area extensively to improve the roadway carriageways and the vegetation on the verges.

This is a very small situation that does not require major engineering, but rather a single pass of a small blade lifting the overgrown grass and a stiff brush to be able to clear the pathway. Recent storms have left twigs branches and other debris in the way of this. I have fallen off at least once on the uncleared leaves which have caused me to fall and rip clothing and damage my legs. This forms part of the national cycle pathway between Exeter to Plymouth and has a major route is severely undermaintained.

I do appreciate that there is a lot of ongoing roadway carriageway maintenance. With so many workers within the area working around the night would it be possible to distribute a small group, or single small tractor driver, for just a few hours to rectify this problem that would probably need No further maintenance for a large number of years afterwards.

This request is not for anything other than the clearance of debris from an existing cycle path which is more than significantly wide enough.

It has however never been cleared in the last 20 years and as such as overgrown . Here is the letter I was given via email to assure me that attending to this would be done within a matter of months. It is now over a year.

Our ref: 21846702 Dear Sir/Madam Thank you for your email of 11 February 2021 about the cycle path alongside A38 Devon Expressway between A383 Newton Abbot road junction at Goodstone and Ashburton Linhay. We appreciate you taking the time to bring this issue to our attention and we’ll be clearing the cycle path shortly. We’re sorry that the cycle path is in a condition that you feel is unsafe. In addition to the work mentioned above, we now have a yearly schedule of maintenance in place for the sides of the path. This will be starting in October 2021. We hope this helps with your enquiry. If you have any further queries, please contact our Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000 or info@highwaysengland.co.uk Kind regards, Beth Galloway Administrator | Operations South West Highways England | Brunel House | 930 Hempton Court | Aztec West | Almondsbury | BS32 4SR