The much-anticipated opening of a new section of the A30 in Cornwall has FINALLY happened after a three month delay due to bad weather.
The dualling of the Chiverton to Carland Cross section of the A30 had been expected to open at the end of March, but has opened for traffic today (Monday, June 24) in time for the summer school holidays.
This morning the first cars made their way along the newly-opened A30 dual carriageway between Chiverton & Carland Cross.
A spokesperson from National Highways said: "We’d like to thank the people of Cornwall for their patience over the last few years while our teams have carried out this work."
During the weekend, National Highways gradually opened all junctions and all lanes of the new A30 dual carriageway by the early hours of Monday morning.
However, despite the reopening of the A30 there remains work to do on local roads and structures to close down the site and fully complete the project.
Starting at 9am on Monday, June 24, there will be a full 24/7 closure of the B3277 link road from Chiverton Junction to the Services roundabout until Friday, July 12.
Traffic heading from the A30 to St Agnes will be diverted along the A30 to Scorrier junction then through Blackwater, before re-joining the B3277 at the Services roundabout (and vice versa).
Construction of the major road upgrade had been initially delayed by the pandemic, before starting in 2021.
The programme of work had to adapt to the effects of the pandemic and has since been faced with growing weather challenges – including 14 Met Office classified storms between January 2021 and August 2023.
Since last August alone there have been an unprecedented total of ten storms affecting Cornwall.
The objectives of the nine-mile A30 upgrade are fivefold: to improve safety, reduce congestion and improve journey reliability, improve local connectivity, protect and enhance the environment and promote economic growth within the county.
The cost of developing the scheme is being partly funded by an £8 million contribution from the European Regional Development Fund, with an additional £12 million for the construction phase. The remainder of the cost of developing and delivering the scheme is being funded by central Government.
Drivers can obtain up-to-the-minute travel information on local radio, the @HighwaysSWEST X (Twitter) feed, by phoning the National Highways Information Line on 0300 123 5000 or by accessing the website: www.trafficengland.com For more information, visit https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-west/a30-chiverton-to-carland-cross/
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