Roadworks are due to start in East Street in Okehampton on Monday, January 5.

East Street will be closed for over a month, with a diversion route in place, while gas mains are replaced.

The work is being carried out between January 5 and February 20, as the region’s gas network operator, Wales and West Utilities Ltd, replaces old metal gas pipes with modern plastic pipes and renews or transfers around 53 service pipes to adjacent premises.

The planned diversion route will take vehicles along the B3260, onto the A386, then onto the A30, before rejoining the B3260, and vice versa.

All traffic heading westbound to the town centre will be diverted from the top of Barton Road into lower Crediton Road. This road is normally one-way eastbound but, for the duration of the works, it will reverse to one-way westbound to the junction with Northfield Road.

Traffic will then turn right, northbound along the one-way road and, at the top, turn left along North Street past the Ockment Centre and the town library to meet Fore Street when it will be turn right ONLY into Fore Street.

Traffic wishing to return to the east side of town will have to go along New Road B3260 then turn west to join the A386 turning left after half a mile to go south to Sourton Cross where it can join the A30 eastbound in the Exeter direction, later turning off to the top of Exeter Road to reach home on the east side of town.

Devon County Council has not published the hours the workers will be on site.