Plans to unlock economic growth in the south west by transforming the single carriageway on the A30 between Chiverton Cross and Carland Cross into a new dual carriageway took a step closer today (Monday, July 3).S
Highways England has announced the preferred route for the £290 million scheme, which is part of the Government’s £15 billion Road Investment Strategy published in 2014.
The improvement to the eight mile stretch will help to improve journey times for residents, businesses and visitors, as well as unlocking one of the last bottlenecks in Cornwall.
Andrew Page-Dove, Highways England South West Regional Director, said:
“We recognise the strategic importance of improving this section of the A30 in helping to unlock economic growth in Cornwall and the whole of the region.
“Over the last few months we have worked hard to identify the best possible design for the scheme and we are excited to share our plans with local stakeholders, businesses and the community.
“As well as boosting the area’s economy, improving this stretch of the A30 is vital to improving motorists’ journeys, cutting congestion and connecting local communities.”
Sarah Newton, MP for Truro and Falmouth, said:
“Upgrading this stretch of the A30 will bring significant benefits for residents, businesses and visitors, cutting congestion and boosting the local economy.
“I discussed the plans with the Transport Secretary last week, during his visit to Cornwall, and I’m keen to ensure local residents fully understand the proposals and have their say.
“I would encourage people to take part in one of the live web chats or find out more at one of the upcoming shows.”
The upgrade of the Temple to Higher Carblake section of the A30 is due to be completed this summer. By improving the A30 between Chiverton and Carland Cross, Highways England will be working in partnership with Cornwall Council on a second joint project as part of the Government’s £15 billion investment into roads.
Once both schemes have been completed drivers will be able to travel along dual carriageway for over 100 miles between the M5 and Camborne in Cornwall.
Cllr Geoff Brown, Portfolio Holder for Transport at Cornwall Council added: “This is great news for Cornwall and builds upon the significant investment in our trunk roads over recent years – including the dualling of the A30 at Temple, which will be complete in a few week’s time, and the stabilisation works on the A38 Glyn Valley. This much anticipated scheme will put an end to the congestion experienced by motorists at Chiverton Cross roundabout, which is probably the busiest junction in the Duchy.
“Building a new carriageway between Chiverton Cross and Carland Cross not only reduces the impact on motorists during the construction period, it also means we will be able to retain the current road to maintain links for the local communities.
“This project will build upon the excellent working relationship that we have with Highways England and we hope to continue the great work which has gone into getting to today’s significant milestone and I look forward to work starting on site.”
A single route with two alignment options at Chybucca was shortlisted for the scheme and presented at a series of public consultation events in October 2016, where members of the public, businesses and stakeholders were invited to give feedback.
The proposal included the creation of a new dual carriageway running to the north of the existing A30 between Chiverton and Chybucca and to the south between Chybucca and Carland Cross. The existing A30 would be retained as a local route.
Response to the consultation showed overwhelming support for the scheme, with 95 per cent of people agreeing with the need for the scheme, 92 per cent supporting the proposal for a dual carriageway with new two level junctions and 86 per cent supporting the retention of the existing A30 as a local route.
Feedback received from the consultation on the impact on farms and property, junction capacity, and the environment has been taken into account in the selection of the preferred route. Following further design and assessment work, the proposal has been modified to provide the best performing route overall.
The preferred route includes:
- 70mph high-quality dual carriageway
- a two-level junction at Chiverton Cross and a new roundabout to ensure the free flow of traffic on the A30
- a new partial junction at Chybucca built on two levels with west-facing slip-roads only to provide access onto the dual carriageway from local routes
- new bridges at Tolgroggan Farm, Pennycomequick Lane and over the Allet to Tresawsen road to provide local access
- a two-level junction at Carland Cross with a new roundabout north of the dual carriageway and re-using the existing roundabout to the south
- use of the existing A30 as a local route with new sections where necessary to provide continuity
Details of the preferred route, including technical reports relating the selection process, are available on our scheme webpage from Monday 3 July: www.highways.gov.uk/A30Chiverton-to-CarlandCross
The information will also be available at the following local information points from Monday 3 July:
- County Hall in Truro
- Truro Library
- St Agnes Library
- Perranporth Library
A further round of consultation will be held before the planning application is submitted where everyone will have another chance to feed back on the proposal before the scheme progresses into the next stage.
Subject to statutory approval under the Planning Act 1998 (as amended) and approval from the Secretary of State, construction is planned to start by March 2020.