A30 safety scheme: Seven months of delays expected

Motorists on Cornwall's A30 are being warned to expect months of delays and diversions as a £9.8m safety scheme is delivered.

National Highways said the work between Kennards House to Five Lanes was vital to make some of the dangerous junctions along the route safer.

It includes the Plusha junction, which as been named as Cornwall's worst accident blackspot, with three fatalities in 2024 alone.

Cornwall Councillor Adam Paynter said the works could have been "planned better" as cars diverting to avoid long tailbacks were causing "real problems" for villagers along the stretch.

The work started on September 5 and is focused on six junctions: Plusha, Trevell, Two Bridges, Blackhill Quarry, Polyphant and a highways maintenance depot.

A spokesperson for National Highways said the aim was to improve road safety and divert traffic flows to more suitable junctions, while providing mitigation on local roads.

In the village of Tregadillett, Desmond Emmett said there was a noticeable increase in traffic since the roadworks started.

"It's causing gridlock at times in our village because people think they're saving time coming through here, but they're not saving any time at all," he said.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Launceston North and North Petherwin Adam Paynter said he had warned National Highways "they needed to do more" to lessen the impact of the closure of one lane both ways on the A30 and a lengthy official diversion.

"If there was a smaller amount of road closure on the A30 that would make a big difference, " he said.

"They are coning off the whole length to do different bits. It would be better if they closed only the sections they are working on rather than the whole stretch."

Adrian Parsons, Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Altarnun and Stoke Climsland, said, while safety improvements were needed, it was "simply unacceptable for works to last a further six months".

He said there had been a "lack of meaningful dialogue" between National Highways and communities directly affected, with "poor delivery and management of these works... having a real impact on local businesses and residents".

"People are facing significant delays, not just locally, but across the wider area, and our rural communities are bearing the brunt," he added.

A coroner's inquest heard how, between 2015 and 2024, there had been 22 crashes leading to three deaths, nine serious injuries and a total of 54 casualties at the Plusha junction.

Peter Pridham has worked at the services there for 13 years and said he was caught in the roadworks delays every morning on his way to work but "it's just something you have got to put up with".

He said: "Unfortunately, there have been many accidents here, some of whom were local customers I've seen who have spoken to me at the garage.

"What they're doing here now widening the junction and making a clearer exit will give time for the traffic flowing on the A30 to slow down - so there should be less accidents."

National Highways Programme Delivery Manager Ian Ellis said: "We're working six days a week to deliver this essential safety scheme on the A30 and have planned the work to avoid the busier summer and holiday seasons.

"We've reduced the length of the construction programme by establishing a large work area rather than carrying out a phased approach.

"This means we can keep the A30 open and give contractors space to carry out several activities at the same time while avoiding the need for further road closures to alter traffic management."

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