Whiddon Down Junction

Whiddon Down Junction, known as the Merrymeet Roundabout prior to its upgrade, links the A30 with the A382 and the A3124.

1972 proposal which was never built

It was originally planned as a GSJ and orders were made for this scheme in 1972 which also included a bypass for the A382 around the village of Whiddon Down. The A30 west of the junction was to follow a more southerly line compared to what was eventually built. This scheme was never built and six years were to elapse before the junction was first created in 1978 as the western terminus of the A30 dualling at the time, with the onwards A30 improvement not opening until 1987.

The original roundabout, from the C50

The initial incarnation of the junction was an at grade roundabout which served to connect two different A30 dualling contracts in the 1970s and 1980s. The C50 to the north and A382 to the south mark the previous routing of the A30 prior to it's upgrade. Prior to the upgrade of the junction, which opened in December 2006, this was the first roundabout encountered when travelling to the south west from Scotland.

The upgrade in the mid 00s consisted of building a new overbridge to the west of the roundabout, taking advantage of the A30 being in a cutting at this point and linking it to the existing roads, the A30 was rebuilt through the existing roundabout and the C50 and A382 became LILO slip roads.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A30	Okehampton, Bodmin
A30	Exeter
A382	Moretonhampstead; Torrington, Winkleigh (A3124)
C50	Crockernwell, Hittisleigh	This used to be part of the former A30