Drivers urged to plan journeys ahead of A30 closure
A new bridge is being installed as part of the Chiverton to Carland Cross upgrade
A big stretch of the A30 in Cornwall will be shut next weekend.
The road between Chiverton and Carland Cross will be fully closed so a new bridge can be installed, as part upgrade works being carried out by National Highways.
During the closure, the Tolgroggan access bridge will be replaced. Preparatory work for the bridge replacement has been ongoing since the start of construction in 2021.
The new bridge replacement will continue to provide access for landowners either side of the A30.
As a result, the A30 will be closed from 8.00pm on Friday 3 February, and reopened to traffic by 6.00am on Monday 6 February.
The bridge operation is weather dependent and in the event of adverse weather on the programmed weekend, contingency weekends are in place for 10-13 and 17-20 February.
The operation will see the new 137ft (42-metre) structure being lifted into place before the dismantling of the old accommodation bridge later in the year.
A 600-tonne crawler crane will be employed to lift the newly constructed steel twin-beam overbridge onto recently constructed foundations east of the old structure.
The new bridge weights 275 tonnes, the equivalent weight of 23 double decker buses or 887,097 standard Cornish pasties.
And once the new bridge has been lifted into position, work will concentrate on construction of the new road, with the existing bridge to be demolished later this year.
Clearly signed diversions will be in place via the Boxheater Junction and Chiverton Cross roundabout, with eastbound traffic diverted via the A3075 to Goonhavern and the B3285 to rejoin the A30.
The westbound diversion will operate in reverse, with the B3284 remaining open under temporary traffic signals north and south across the Chybucca roundabout.
Ahead of the weekend closure, National Highways is advising drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys while the bridge installation is carried out.
Neil Winter, Project Manager for National Highways’ A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross scheme, said: "We appreciate the closure will have an effect on journey times, and we understand roadworks can be frustrating, but we are carrying out this essential work over one weekend, and when traffic levels are at their lowest, to minimise disruption.
"We’ve communicated the closure in advance to local communities and businesses and we thank drivers in advance for their patience while the work takes place."
John Lee, Costain Project Director, said: "It’s a key milestone for the project, and once we have the new bridge in place we will be able to switch our attention to the other structures along the route.
"As part of the scheme, we’re building 13 new structures in all, both under and over the new A30, with one existing underbridge at Two Burrows, a short distance from Tolgroggan, being refurbished."
As part of the near nine-mile upgrade, the new route will feature:
- A new grade-separated junction at Carland Cross, with an underbridge linking the existing roundabout and a new roundabout to create the new junction
- A new grade-separated junction at Chiverton, formed by two new underbridges under the new A30, creating a new junction linking with the old A30, A390, A3075 and B3277 roads
- A new grade-separated junction at Chybucca formed with an overbridge
- A new green bridge at Marazanvose, to connect wildlife habitats across the new A30
- Underpasses at Newlyn Downs, Church Lane and Chiverton for walkers, cyclists and horse riders
- Three new underbridges at Pennycomequick, Trevalso Lane and Tresawen, creating increased connectivity to the de-trunked A30
- Refurbishment of the existing underbridge at Two Burrows
The multi-million pound upgrade is scheduled to be open to traffic this winter.