New A30 Cornwall dualling and upgrade 'taking shape'

The underpass near Chiverton Cross roundabout is part of the £330m project

A £330m upgrade of a trunk road in Cornwall has reached several milestones and is "taking shape", developers have said.

The A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross project is seeing a section of the major route through the county upgraded to a dual carriageway.

National Highways said a new pre-cast underpass was in the ground at the Chiverton end of the 8.7-mile (14km) upgrade.

The structure, to be completed late next year by construction firm Keltbray, would provide a safe crossing for walkers, cyclists and horse riders under the new dual carriageway, the government agency said.

The entire scheme is scheduled to be open to traffic at the end of 2023 and include a 70mph dual carriageway and three two-level junctions.

National Highways said the road was being built to improve journey reliability and safety, and had been designed to protect the environment.

As part of that work, 33 multi-species crossing points were being constructed to "assist the habitats and journeys of animals such as otters, badgers, bats and reptiles", it said.

In the new year, work would also start on installing a new bridge near Zelah before demolition of the old Tolgroggan bridge, it added.

National Highways project manager Dominika Mackiewicz said improving the A30 was "a significant step forwards towards improving Cornwall’s economy" as it was "the only remaining stretch of single carriageway on the A30 between Camborne and the M5 at Exeter".

She added that, "despite the pandemic, the new route is taking shape".

The existing A30 is remaining open while the scheme is being built alongside, with traffic management and speed restrictions in place at key stages of construction.