THE ‘MISSING’ link road in Dawlish has finally been completed after more than a decade in the making.

The multi-million pound road is designed to help access new land for housing on the outskirts of Dawlish and ease traffic congestion.

So far, only construction vehicles can use the road.

But this means 100s of lorries every day will be rerouted, reducing the use of Elm Grove Road which is home to two schools.

The link bridge, named Sweet Violets Bridge by Dawlish Town Council to commemorate the town’s historic violet industry, was officially named as part of the £6.2million scheme linking new housing development to the North east of Dawlish to the main A379.

One of the aims was to ease congestion on the A379 road.

This final piece of the jigsaw was the official naming of Sweet Violets Bridge by Mayor of Dawlish Cllr Lin Goodman-Bradbury.

She said: ‘This is a massive piece of infrastructure which joins two estates.

‘This will allow other estates here to be part of this and the bridge enables this to happen.’

Now the road has been finished, it means there will be a new bus route and will provide a storm and fowl sewer system for the new homes.

Work eventually started in 2023, seven years after it was originally planned.

Residents called it the ‘missing link’ road after hundreds of homes were built before any work on the relief road was started.

The scheme has been built in a collaboration between Teignbridge Council, Devon County Council and contractors Montel Group.

In April last year, the 26m bridge was lifted into place using a 500 ton crane.

At the opening, MP Martin Wrigley said: ‘This is a massive step forward in a 10 year campaign and I am delighted to see this open.’

Teignbridge Council chairman and Dawlish town councillor Rosie Dawson said: ‘It is amazing to be here and it has been a long time coming.

‘To see it being completed it great, it has been designed beautifully.’

The opening marks the completion of work on the project to build the 26m bridge, 110m of carriageway on an embankment including footways and cycleway and a further 360m of carriageway.

Proposals for the road were first put forward when housing development was considered to the north east of the town.

A spokesman for Teignbridge Council described the naming as a ‘significant milestone’ in providing the homes and infrastructure needed to support the growing local community. 

Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council, supported by Homes England, worked in partnership to deliver the bridge and the link road, which connects the A379 by Sainsbury’s to more than 400 new homes at Secmaton Farm and Swan Park and providing access to approximately 400 new homes at Gatehouse Farm. 

The project was funded by £4.9 million in government grants and £1.3 million in developer contributions.

A final section of road is being delivered by housing developers, completing the link road and connecting the A379 to Elm Grove Road.

A shared path for walkers and cyclists will also be delivered by developers.

The name was chosen to commemorate the ‘violet train’ which took freshly picked violets from Dawlish station to Covent Garden.