Survey completed ahead of west Cornwall A30 dualling funding bid

Those behind the plans estimate hold-ups on the road cost businesses in and around Penzance about £1.3m a year

A survey has been carried out to support a business case to upgrade what will be the last remaining single-track stretch of the A30 in Cornwall.

The case for action has been sent to National Highways, asking for a dual carriageway from Camborne to Penzance, and by-passing villages along the way.

It has been completed ahead of bids for funds from National Highways in 2025.

St Ives MP Derek Thomas said the upgrade was needed because the current road was "not fit for purpose".

Demand 'increased significantly'

The survey comes as work is under way to dual a 8.7mile (14km) section of the A30 between Carland Cross and Chiverton Cross, near Truro.

When it is completed, which is due in 2023, the only section of the A30 which with a single carriageway will be the 12-mile (20km) stretch between Camborne and Penzance.

That section of the A30 sees frequent heavy traffic, particularly around Hayle, St Erth and the outskirts of Penzance.

The 200-page case for action has involved town and parish councils, and Mr Thomas.

Organisers estimate hold-ups on the road cost businesses in and around Penzance about £1.3m a year.

Mr Thomas said that portion of the route was "not able to cope with the demand that is placed upon it" and "this has been the case for 30 years when a scheme to dual the road was scrapped".

He added that demand had "only increased significantly since then" and that better transport links in the area were needed for "growth that was vital for Penwith to level up with the rest of the country".

"All this traffic is channelled down a road that is not fit for purpose," he said.

Shaun Reynolds, from National Highways, said it would "consider all submissions" and publish a report in the summer.

He said this was a "vital stage in informing the development" of the Road Investment Strategy for 2025-2030 and beyond.