Road workers are being abused by angry drivers who can’t get through because the bridge is closed – something the Packet witnessed at close hand.

Major works to install traffic calming and pavements through the centre of Mylor Bridge carried out by Cormac will close the road for nearly a month.

Lemon Hill is closed to traffic to allow improvement works to the section of road between the bridge itself and Trevellan Road. The work is expected to last until July 3.

However the workers say since the road has been closed many drivers have been ignoring the road closed signs and trying to get through.

When they are not allowed through they are being abusive to the workers. They say there have been some pretty nasty comments made against them, with the driver of a national waste company lorry being particularly abusive.

Workers told the Packet that the road had to be closed, particularly during school drop off and pick up times, as children and parents were having to use the road as a pavement and they couldn’t risk people being hurt, especially a child. “They just don’t get it,” they said.

Despite this drivers have been removing the barriers at the weekend and driving through which has led to bottlenecks with vehicles attempting to get across the bridge using the single lane when there is traffic coming the other way.

At the weekend a large expensive Range Rover smashed its rear light on a garden wall of a house as it tried to reverse back across the bridge.

As the Packet walked away from the workers, a car pulled up at the barrier, the driver got out swearing about the road being closed saying nothing was happening, threw the barrier aside and started to drive across the bridge.

He was stopped by the workers who stood in the road and shouting at him to stop and there was altercation between them with the drivers door being opened as the workers asked him what he thought he was doing. However the workers wouldn’t let him thorough.

He then reversed back up the lane created by the barriers, turned around and shot back through the village at speed. The incident was caught on video by our reporter.

This was at a time when parents were walking across the bridge in the road with their children to go to school.

One of the workers told the Packet afterwards that another car coming through at another time had clipped a pedestrian walking across the bridge with their child. Ironically that car had children in it too.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: "The work at Mylor Bridge is in response to concerns from the local community about pedestrian safety and the volume and speed of vehicles in the village.   

"Installing a new link footway and associated traffic calming will allow residents to safely walk to facilities in their village including the local GP surgery and playing field.  

"To ensure works can be undertaken safely and efficiently, a road closure is in place during weekdays between 8am and 5pm. Access will be maintained for school buses, residents living within the construction area and emergency services.   

"While we can appreciate road closures can cause inconvenience, there is no excuse for abuse towards our contractors. They are doing their job – one which ultimately is about listening to and acting on the wishes of the local community and improving safety."