Safety and lane use A30 Exeter, Science Park and Honiton

Dear National Highways team, I’m writing to raise a concern about the A30 from Exeter (Honiton Road) towards Honiton, specifically the section under the motorway bridge.

There is a dedicated bus lane in this area which, in practice, is never used — not even by buses. As a result, it feels like a wasted piece of infrastructure. The vast majority of traffic heading to the Science Park, Exeter Airport, or the M5 southbound uses the lane immediately next to it.

A frequent and concerning issue is that many drivers assume the lane that appears to run straight ahead continues towards Honiton. Only at the last moment do they realise it does not, which leads to sudden lane changes to the right. This regularly causes congestion and creates unnecessary risk for accidents.

If the bus lane were opened to all vehicles and used for traffic heading towards the Science Park and airport, the existing lane could continue clearly towards Honiton. This would significantly reduce confusion, improve traffic flow, and make the area safer for all road users.

In my view, this could be achieved simply by updating the signage on top of the bridge and the road markings.

I would really appreciate it if you could consider this suggestion, as it would make a noticeable difference to safety and driver experience on this stretch of road.

Kind regards, Maggie