The M5 northbound shuts between J31 and J30 from 8pm on Monday 12 October. Honiton Road is due to close 19 to 30 October. Every Exeter closure, checked 7 Oct.
The M5 northbound between junction 31 and junction 30 closes overnight on Monday 12 October, from 8pm to 6am. National Highways lists it for sign maintenance. The A38 eastbound from Wobbly Wheel to junction 31 shuts on the same night, along with the M5 northbound entry slip from the A30.
The signed diversion for M5 traffic runs through the city’s south side:
- the A379
- Bridge Road
- Rydon Lane, back to the M5 at junction 30
A week later, Devon County Council plans to close Honiton Road to through traffic from 19 to 30 October for drainage work. That order is still only a proposal; the council has not yet published it as made.
This page lists which Exeter roads are shut right now, what is coming, and then the parts that do not change from week to week: where to park, what it costs, and the three park and ride sites where leaving the car costs nothing.
Last checked 7 October 2026 against the statutory traffic orders, the National Highways closure report, Great Western Railway’s planned engineering page and Devon County Council’s own news releases.
The M5 and A38 at night: Monday 12 October
National Highways’ closure report for the week from Tuesday 6 October lists three closures on the night of Monday 12 October, all from 8pm to 6am:
- M5 northbound, junction 31 to junction 30: carriageway closed
- M5 northbound entry slip from the A30: closed
- A38 eastbound, Wobbly Wheel to M5 junction 31: carriageway closed
The report gives two signed diversions:
- For the M5: via the A379, Bridge Road and Rydon Lane to junction 30
- For the A38 to the A30: via the A379, Bad Homburg Way, Alphinbrook Road, Church Road and the A377 to Alphington
Both routes run through the city. The second uses Church Road, Alphington, which already has a one-way order on it for gas works (see the table below). The first crosses the Exe on Bridge Road, where one lane of the swing bridge may still be shut.
The westbound overnight closures that ran on weeknights through September, A38 westbound from the M5 to Kennford and the A30 eastbound at Alphington, are not in this week’s report. Their order runs to 12 October 2026, and National Highways sometimes brings dropped nights back, so treat this as a pause rather than proof the work is finished.
One smaller closure is still running on the Plymouth road. The A38 westbound exit slip at Harcombe shuts from 9.30pm to 6am on the nights of Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 October and Monday 12 October, for weather station work. Traffic is sent via the Chudleigh junction and the A3344. Harcombe is on the climb over Haldon Hill, about nine miles south west of the city. (National Highways closure report; National Highways order for the Wobbly Wheel to Splatford work, made)
A379 Bridge Road: still no word on the swing bridge
One lane of the swing bridge on the A379 at Countess Wear has been shut since Monday 14 September, after fixings in the road surface came loose. Devon County Council said a specialist contractor was booked to work on it overnight on Wednesday 23 September, using a different method after tightening failed. Its wording was that the closure would stay “until this work has been completed”.
Three weeks on, we still cannot tell you whether that work went ahead or whether the lane has reopened. As of 7 October, the council has published nothing on the bridge since its release of 16 September. That matters more than usual next week, because Bridge Road is the signed diversion for the M5 closure on Monday 12 October. If you are driving towards Marsh Barton from Countess Wear, allow for the lane still being shut.
The bascule bridge lane alongside reopened on Tuesday 15 September, after 29 days. Bridge Road is one of three crossings of the Exe in the city, so Exe Bridges and Countess Wear Bridge take the overspill. The full sequence, and the £42m plan to replace both canal bridges, is in our separate report. (Devon County Council, 16 September 2026)
Exeter city roads closed now
These are the orders Devon County Council has advertised under section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The finish dates are the council’s own anticipated dates, not guarantees: every order is written with a maximum duration of 18 months.
| Road | Restriction | Until | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Street, St Leonards | No through traffic, no parking | 11 October | Lead pipe replacement |
| Belmont Road | No parking | 16 October | Newtown walking and cycling scheme |
| Cambridge Street | No through traffic | 18 October | Gas mains replacement |
| Welcome Street | No parking | 21 October | Water works |
| Church Road, Alphington | One way: no southeastbound traffic; no parking | 23 October | Gas works |
| Salisbury Road | No through traffic, no parking | 23 October | Lead pipe replacement |
| Grace Road Central, Marsh Barton | One way: no anticlockwise traffic, no parking | 27 October | Gas mains replacement |
| School Road, and the one-way on Cecil Road and Oxford Street | No through traffic, no parking, one-way suspended | 2 November | Gas mains replacement |
| Park Road and St John's Road | No through traffic, no parking | 11 November | Lead pipe replacement |
| Clifton Road, outside Newtown Close | No parking | 27 November | Newtown walking and cycling scheme |
| Woodah Road, St Thomas | No through traffic, no parking | No readable date | Lead pipe replacement |
Franklin Street in St Leonards is the next to finish, on an anticipated 11 October. No new Exeter street closures have been made since the council’s batch of 24 September; its next batches add only the Newtown closures below.
Cambridge Street is a Wales & West Utilities gas main replacement, signed via Buller Road and Brunswick Street. It is the fourth order on that street this year.
Welcome Street loses parking from the junction of Willeys Avenue to outside number 11. The notice says there is no alternative route. The work is South West Water’s.
Church Road, Alphington now has two orders on it. The one-way restriction, from Alphington Road to the Powlesland Road and Alphinbrook Road junction, was already in place. A parking ban for the same gas works has applied since 28 September, also to 23 October.
Grace Road Central in Marsh Barton has a one-way order a one-way closure from 21 September to an anticipated 27 October, with no anticlockwise traffic and no parking, signed via Trusham Road and Alphinbrook Road. (Devon County Council traffic notices, 24 September 2026)
The two that will cost most people time are still School Road and Park Road, because both run into November.
School Road has been shut to through traffic and parking since 24 August while Wales & West Utilities replaces gas mains. The one-way system on Cecil Road and Oxford Street is suspended for as long as it lasts.
Park Road and St John’s Road are closed to through traffic and parking until 11 November for South West Water’s lead replacement scheme, signed via Polsloe Road, Pinhoe Road and Commins Road.
Woodah Road has been shut to through traffic and parking since 24 August, signed via Okehampton Road and Buddle Lane. The council’s notice prints that order in a scanned two-column layout that interleaves it with an unrelated closure at Whimple. The finish date cannot be read off it with confidence, so we would rather say that than print a date that might belong to another road.
Newtown: two road closures added for late October
Work on the Newtown Community Project began on Monday 14 September, on Belmont Road, Clifton Road and Clifton Hill. Devon County Council expected this stage to take around five weeks, with multi-way temporary traffic lights and a three-night road closure near the end. (Devon County Council, 11 September 2026)
Two parking bans for this stage are in force, made from 21 September:
- Belmont Road: no parking until an anticipated 16 October
- Clifton Road, outside Newtown Close: no parking until an anticipated 27 November
The second stage is expected to start on Monday 12 October, around the Clifton Road, Chute Street and Clifton Street junction. The council intends to ban parking on Clifton Road, Chute Street and Clifton Street from 12 October to an anticipated 27 November. The scheme is funded by Sport England. (Clifton Road, Chute Street and Clifton Street notice, 24 September 2026)
A notice published on 1 October adds two closures the council intends to make for “junction improvement works”:
- Belmont Road and Clifton Road: closed to through traffic overnight, 7pm to 7am, from 26 to 30 October, signed via Western Way and Heavitree Road
- Chute Street, Clifton Road and Clifton Street: closed to through traffic in the daytime, 7am to 7pm, from 28 October to an anticipated 27 November, signed via Belmont Road, Western Way and Heavitree Road
Both fall partly in the October half term. (Chute Street, Clifton Road and Clifton Street notice, 1 October 2026)
The permanent layout for those streets is now out for comment too. A separate order would bring no waiting at any time to lengths of Chute Street, Clifton Road and Clifton Street, plus:
- 30-minute limited waiting on part of Clifton Road, Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm
- two-hour limited waiting on part of Chute Street, same hours
- Zone C residents’ parking on parts of Chute Street and Clifton Road
- a disabled bay and a loading bay on Clifton Road
Objections must reach the council by 22 October 2026, in writing or through devon.cc/tro. (Clifton Road waiting restrictions notice, 1 October 2026)
Coming next: Honiton Road, Buller Road and Rosebery Road
Devon County Council has advertised these further orders it intends to make. An intention is not yet a decision, so treat the dates as planned rather than fixed. As of 7 October, none of them has been republished as made.
| Road | Restriction | From | Until | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monkswell Road | No through traffic, no parking | 12 October | 27 November | Lead pipe replacement |
| Honiton Road | No through traffic | 19 October | 30 October | Drainage |
| Buller Road | No through traffic, no parking | 19 October | 17 November | Lead pipe replacement |
| Emmanuel Road | No parking | 19 October | 30 October | Water works |
| Rosebery Road | No through traffic, no parking | 26 October | 18 December | Lead pipe replacement |
Honiton Road is the one to watch. It is one of the main roads into the city from the east, and the signed diversion is long. It runs via:
- East Wonford Hill and Rifford Road
- Burnthouse Lane and Wonford Street
- Topsham Road and Rydon Lane
- Sidmouth Road, back to Honiton Road
The notice does not say which length of Honiton Road would close. Its second week is the October half term, 26 to 30 October.
Buller Road would be signed via Cowick Street, Buddle Lane and Okehampton Road, for Kier on behalf of South West Water. Rosebery Road, the longest of the new ones at almost eight weeks, would be signed via Elmside, Salisbury Road and Iddesleigh Road. That is next to Salisbury Road, which is already shut until 23 October under the same lead replacement scheme. (Devon County Council traffic notices, 24 September 2026)
Monkswell Road has a signed route that is one-way in each direction: clockwise via Monks Road, Thurlow Road, Mount Pleasant Road and Priory Road, and anticlockwise via Priory Road, Mount Pleasant Road, Pinhoe Road, Thurlow Road and Monks Road. Emmanuel Road loses parking between 20 Okehampton Road and outside number 4, with no alternative route. (Notice, 17 September 2026)
Rifford Road is getting two new zebra crossings, one 53 metres north east of Woodwater Lane and one 103 metres north east of Ivy Close. The notice said work was due to begin in September. It gives no closure. (Notice, 3 September 2026)
St James Road and the Exeter City match day closures
Devon County Council made a fresh Exeter City match day order on 5 September. St James Road, between Old Tiverton Road and Well Street, is closed to through traffic and parking on match days, with traffic signed via Old Tiverton Road, Sidwell Street, York Road and Well Street.
The dates still to come are:
- Saturday 14 November 2026, 11am to 3pm
- Saturday 26 December 2026, 1.30pm to 5.30pm
- Saturday 30 January 2027, 1.30pm to 5.30pm
- Saturday 6 February 2027, 1.30pm to 5.30pm
- Saturday 3 April 2027, 1.30pm to 5.30pm
- Saturday 24 April 2027, 1.30pm to 5.30pm
- Saturday 8 May 2027, 1.30pm to 5.30pm
Note that the November date runs on different hours from all the others. (Devon County Council order, made 5 September 2026)
Further out: the A38 to Plymouth
The A38 between Marley Head and Peartree, which is the Ashburton and Buckfastleigh stretch of the Plymouth road, is under a National Highways order for bridge joint work until 31 January 2027. This week’s closure report has the A38 eastbound from Lower Dean to Buckfastleigh and the westbound from Dartbridge to Marley Head closed overnight from 8pm to 6am on weeknights, and the westbound on Friday 9 October too. The order also brings 50mph and 40mph limits, and a ban on vehicles over 2.9 metres wide between Dart Bridge and Lower Dean. Buckfastleigh is about 22 miles south west of Exeter. (National Highways order)
The A379 overnight closure between Kenton and Dawlish was due to finish on 3 October, and the A30 white lining at Rawridge was a single night on 28 September. Neither appears in National Highways’ or the council’s current notices.
Parking consultations
Two Devon County Council parking orders that include Exeter streets are open for comment:
- Newtown (Chute Street, Clifton Road and Clifton Street), objections by 22 October, set out in the Newtown section above
- The county’s No.45 disabled parking and waiting order, objections by 26 October
In Exeter, the No.45 order would bring residents’ parking at any time to lengths of St David’s Hill (Zone J), Thornton Hill (Zone H) and Salisbury Road (Zone F). It adds Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm residents’ parking on part of Rifford Road (Zone S7). New disabled bays would go on Browning Close, Bonhay Road, Park Road and Pennsylvania Park, and some existing ones on Rifford Road, Salisbury Road, St David’s Hill and Thornton Hill would be removed. (Devon County Council notice, 5 October 2026)
Objections to the council’s earlier Exeter parking amendment order closed on 27 August 2026. It would bring no waiting at any time to lengths of more than 30 streets, including Buddle Lane, Exwick Road, Queens Road and Monmouth Avenue in Topsham. Those comments go to the Highways and Traffic Orders Committee, which decides whether to make it. (Notice)
Trains
There is no engineering work at Exeter St Davids or Exeter Central on Great Western Railway’s planned engineering page. The work that affects journeys out of the city is all on the line to London or Bristol:
- Saturday 10 to Friday 16 October. Track renewal at Pewsey, all week. London to Plymouth and Penzance trains, which serve Exeter St Davids, divert via Swindon (at least 15 minutes longer) or Bristol Temple Meads (about 30 minutes longer). GWR says there will be no direct trains between London Paddington and Paignton that week.
- Weekends of 14 and 15, and 21 and 22 November. Track renewals between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare.
- Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November. London Paddington is closed to all GWR trains. From Exeter, South Western Railway’s direct route to Waterloo is the obvious alternative that weekend.
- Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January. GWR lists rail improvement work affecting services for London Paddington over the whole Christmas and New Year week. Our Christmas travel page will carry the detail once the timetables are out.
(Planned engineering, Great Western Railway)
Park and ride: three sites, free parking
Exeter has three park and ride sites, and unlike most cities the parking itself costs nothing. You pay only for the bus.
| Site | Postcode | Bus | Best for arrivals from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honiton Road | EX2 7NL | 4 and 4A | M5 junction 29, A30 from Honiton |
| Sowton | EX2 5GL | C | M5 junction 30, A3052 Sidmouth, A376 Exmouth |
| Matford | EX2 8FD | B and C | A38 Plymouth, A380 Torbay, A379 Dawlish |
An Exeter DayRider costs £5.50 for an adult, £3.60 for a child aged 5 to 15 and £11.00 for a group of up to five people, and it covers the bus all day rather than just the trip in and out.
Two catches worth knowing before you set off. Sowton and Matford are closed on Sundays and public holidays, so on a Sunday the only park and ride running is Honiton Road. And Honiton Road and Sowton both have a 2.1 metre height restriction, which rules out a roof box or a high-top van.
City centre parking, and what it costs
The council’s main pay-on-foot car park is the Guildhall, with 397 public bays off Mary Arches Street, normally open 8am to midnight seven days a week. It has 20 accessible bays at the pedestrian entrances and two electric vehicle charging points. The height limit is 1.80 metres, which is low, so check before you drive in. It reopened at 7am on Saturday 19 September after a week closed.
Tariffs, in force since 12 November 2025:
| Stay | Monday to Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | £4.90 | £3.70 |
| 3 hours | £6.00 | £4.50 |
| 4 hours | £7.20 | £5.40 |
| 5 hours | £8.40 | £6.20 |
| 6 hours | £9.50 | £7.20 |
| 7 hours | £10.70 | £8.00 |
| All day | £19.30 | £14.50 |
The Thursday evening rule
The single most useful thing to know about parking in Exeter is that the council runs free parking after 6pm every Thursday at its city centre pay-on-foot car parks, all year round. That covers the Guildhall, open until midnight, and John Lewis, which closes at 9.45pm.
Set against the standard rates, that is the difference between paying £6.00 for three hours and paying nothing for an evening out.
The shape of that chart is the practical advice. For anything longer than about four hours, the park and ride at £5.50 beats driving in, and for a full day it beats it by nearly £14. The Guildhall makes sense for a short shop, a Sunday, or a Thursday evening when it is free.
Going to London instead
For a day in London the sums usually favour leaving the car at a park and ride or at St Davids rather than driving. The fastest train to Paddington takes 2 hours 2 minutes. Times, fares and the cheaper Waterloo route are on our Exeter trains to London page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the M5 closed near Exeter at night?
Yes, on one night next week. National Highways lists the M5 northbound from junction 31 to junction 30 closed from 8pm on Monday 12 October to 6am on Tuesday 13 October, with the A38 eastbound from Wobbly Wheel to junction 31 and the M5 northbound entry slip from the A30. M5 traffic is diverted via the A379, Bridge Road and Rydon Lane.
Which Exeter roads are closed at the moment?
Franklin Street until 11 October. Cambridge Street until 18 October. Church Road in Alphington (one-way) and Salisbury Road until 23 October. Grace Road Central (one-way) until 27 October. School Road, with the Cecil Road and Oxford Street one-way suspended, until 2 November. Park Road and St John’s Road until 11 November. Woodah Road in St Thomas is also shut, with no readable finish date in the council’s notice.
Is Honiton Road in Exeter closing?
Devon County Council has advertised that it intends to close Honiton Road to through traffic from 19 to 30 October for drainage work. The order has not been made as of 7 October. The signed diversion runs via East Wonford Hill, Rifford Road, Burnthouse Lane, Topsham Road, Rydon Lane and Sidmouth Road.
Is Bridge Road still down to one lane?
We cannot confirm either way. The swing bridge lane shut on Monday 14 September and a specialist repair was booked overnight on Wednesday 23 September. As of 7 October Devon County Council had published nothing on whether that work was done or the lane reopened.
Is the Guildhall car park open in Exeter?
Yes. Exeter City Council’s notice says the Guildhall reopened at 7am on Saturday 19 September after a week closed. John Lewis, at EX4 6PD, stays open 8am to 9.45pm on the same tariff.
When is parking free in Exeter?
After 6pm every Thursday, all year round, at Exeter City Council’s city centre pay-on-foot car parks, which are the Guildhall and John Lewis.
How much is Exeter park and ride?
An adult Exeter DayRider is £5.50, a child aged 5 to 15 is £3.60 and a group of up to five people is £11.00. Parking at all three sites is free.
Which Exeter park and ride is open on a Sunday?
Only Honiton Road. Sowton and Matford are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
How much is all-day parking in Exeter city centre?
£19.30 at the council’s central car parks from Monday to Saturday, and £14.50 on a Sunday. Four hours is £7.20 Monday to Saturday and £5.40 on a Sunday. The council states the tariff is the same at all of them.
Sources
- National Highways seven-day road closure report, the edition covering 6 to 12 October 2026, for the M5 northbound J31 to J30, A38 eastbound Wobbly Wheel and A30 entry slip closures and diversions on 12 October, the Harcombe slip and the Marley Head to Buckfastleigh closures.
- A38 and A30 trunk roads and M5, Wobbly Wheel to Splatford, temporary restriction order, National Highways, order made, works 1 September to 12 October.
- Devon County Council traffic notices, 24 September 2026 for the Welcome Street, Cambridge Street, Church Road, Belmont Road, Clifton Road and Grace Road Central orders made, and the Honiton Road, Buller Road and Rosebery Road intentions.
- Chute Street, Clifton Road and Clifton Street notice, 1 October 2026 for the Belmont Road and Clifton Road night closures and the Chute Street daytime closure.
- Clifton Road waiting restrictions notice, 1 October 2026 for the permanent Newtown parking proposals, objections by 22 October.
- Devon County Council No.45 disabled parking and waiting order, 5 October 2026, objections by 26 October.
- Clifton Road, Chute Street and Clifton Street notice, 24 September 2026 for the second Newtown stage parking ban.
- “Bascule Bridge lane reopens while Swing Bridge closure remains”, Devon County Council, 16 September 2026 for the swing bridge closure and the 23 September repair booking. Devon County Council’s news listing was checked again on 7 October.
- Devon County Council traffic notices published 17 September 2026 for Franklin Street, Salisbury Road, Monkswell Road, Emmanuel Road and the A379 Kenton to Dawlish night closures.
- “Next stage of Newtown Community Project to get underway”, Devon County Council, 11 September 2026 for the Newtown stages and the three-night closures.
- A38 trunk road, Marley Head to Peartree, temporary restriction order, National Highways, 1 September 2026 to 31 January 2027.
- Rifford Road zebra crossings notice, 3 September 2026.
- Exeter City Football Club match day order, made 5 September 2026 for the St James Road dates and hours.
- Devon County Council temporary restriction notice, 27 August 2026 for the School Road order.
- Park Road and St John’s Road temporary order, advertised 13 August 2026.
- Devon County Council temporary traffic orders, 30 July 2026 for Woodah Road, the notice whose two-column scan cannot be read cleanly.
- Exeter parking amendment order for the proposed waiting restrictions and the 27 August deadline.
- Planned engineering, Great Western Railway for the Pewsey diversions, the November Bristol to Weston renewals, the Paddington closure on 28 and 29 November and the Christmas week work. Checked 7 October 2026.
- Guildhall car park, Exeter City Council for the reopening, the 397 bays, the tariff, the height limit and the opening hours. Checked 27 September 2026.
- John Lewis car park, Exeter City Council for the 410 bays, hours, postcode and height limit.
- Devon County Council live roadworks information for the interactive roadworks map.
- Park and ride, Devon County Council for the sites, postcodes, bus services, height limits, Sunday closures and DayRider fares.
- Thursday evening free parking, Exeter City Council for the free evening scheme.
Roadworks dates move with the weather and with what contractors find when they open up the carriageway, and parking tariffs change. Check the linked sources before you set off.
Have your say