Kingsbridge residents have been urged not to interfere with temporary traffic management measures as work continues on the town’s long-running culvert repairs, with Devon County Council now targeting September for the road’s reopening.

The warning comes after Kingsbridge Town Council became aware of an incident over the second weekend in May, in which an individual moved traffic cones and signage to the temporary one-way system on Fore Street.

Town Clerk Katherine Harrold described the behaviour as “extremely dangerous” and warned that it “could have resulted in serious injury or damage”.

She asked residents and visitors to report any missing, damaged or moved signs immediately to Devon County Highways.

Despite ongoing disruption, many residents have noted improvements since the removal of the previous three-way traffic lights.

The temporary one-way system is understood to have eased congestion through the town centre, while free parking at Quay Car Park and Fore Street Car Park between 2pm and 8am has also been welcomed by residents and visitors.

The works, which began in January, have proved far more complex than initially anticipated. Originally scheduled to run between January 19 and February 6, the project was extended after engineers discovered a void beneath the road surface on January 20.

In April, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Councillor Dan Thomas, described the repairs as a “Pandora’s box of issues”, saying at the time it was “impossible to provide an accurate timeframe”.

The council has now formally indicated that works are anticipated to finish by September 7.

If completed on schedule, Fore Street will have been closed for 33 weeks.

Kingsbridge Town Council have said hand-digging continues because of nearby gas infrastructure, slowing progress but reducing the risk of damage to essential services.

Contractors are also working some weekends to keep the project moving.

While many independent traders remain concerned about the length of the closure, local authorities say the scale of the damage means the repairs must be completed thoroughly to avoid further major disruption in future.