Saltash tunnel to close overnight for £20m upgrade

The tunnel has not had its operating systems upgraded for 20 years

A series of overnight closures at Saltash tunnel have been announced from Monday as part of a £20m programme of upgrade work.

National Highways said the speed limit between the tunnel and the Carkeel roundabout on the A38 would be reduced from 70mph to 50mph.

Average speed cameras will also be installed in the tunnel where the speed limit is 30mph.

Diversions will be in place via the B3271 and North Road diversion routes.

Saltash tunnel closures

• The tunnel will be closed on weeknights, from 20:00 BST to 06:00, between Monday 18 September and Friday 7 October, with traffic diverted via the B3271 and North Road

• For the speed reduction scheme, the Saltash tunnel and A38 to the Carkeel roundabout will be closed overnight on weeknights only, between Monday 2 October and Tuesday 24 October

• From 25 October to 7 November two-way traffic signals will be in place overnight on the B3271 and North Road

• The final phase of work will see weeknight overnight closures of the tunnel and the A38 up to Carkeel roundabout between 8 November and 20 December, with two-way traffic signals continuing along the B3271 and North Road, overnight only

The 35-year-old tunnel will have its tunnel and traffic control system refurbished, along with the electrical distribution, lighting, fans and electronic signage.

Most of this work will take place in 2024, with the preparation work stage beginning on Monday.

Minor accidents have happened on the A38 leading up to the tunnel

Julian Mitchell, National Highways' tunnel manager, said: "This section of the A38 sees a number of minor collisions as motorists try to reduce speed quickly on the approach to the tunnel and the Carkeel roundabout.

"We are aware of vehicles exceeding the speed limit along the B3271 North Road diversion route when we close the tunnel."

He added: "The tunnel is safe but it is essential that we replace our systems which have been operating for more than 20 years."We'll be preparing the site by stripping out the outdated and redundant equipment and cleaning and preparing cable routes for the kilometres of cabling that will need to be installed."

Mr Mitchell added that, as the tunnel is a "bi-directional tube with three lanes and tidal flow" and connects to the private Tamar Toll Bridge, it is unique and it is "difficult to work safely within the structure without closing it overnight".

He apologised for any inconvenience and advised drivers to plan ahead and allow "a little extra time for their overnight journeys".