A3074
| A3074 | ||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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| From: | St Erth (SW543360) | |||
| To: | St Ives (SW517404) | |||
| Distance: | 3.9 miles (6.3 km) | |||
| Meets: | A30, B3301, B3306 | |||
| Former Number(s): | B3307, B3306 | |||
| Highway Authorities | ||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||
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Route
The A3074 is a short A-road in west Cornwall, running close by the railway line from St Erth to St Ives made famous by Flanders & Swann.
St Erth - St Ives
The route starts from the roundabout junction at the end of the A30 Hayle bypass and the old route through the town, which is numbered now as B3301.
The first junction is after a couple of hundred yards and the 30mph limit starts before this. Although the two mini-roundabouts are not directly together, they are marked on the same Advance Direction Sign. The first right turn is actually another branch of the B3301, but it has been made one-way very shortly further along and you can't access Hayle that way now and is marked on the ADS only for Lelant Saltings Station. It used to be the Park and Ride for St. Ives but that has been moved to a new car park at the previous station; St. Erth. The left fork at the second roundabout is marked for parking at St Ives and HGVs and coaches are directed that way. This is all part of a scheme to keep drivers away from the narrow St Ives streets. The right fork at the second roundabout is at least marked for St Ives and the A3074.
The village of Lelant is entered immediately. There is a sharp left-hand bend and a hill and the road climbs away from the village on a narrow section with no centreline. The speed limit changes to 40 mph and after a short while of Longstone and the seaside resort of Carbis Bay, return the limit to 30mph. There is a mini-roundabout for the Carbis Bay Tesco.
As Carbis Bay is left behind, vehicle occupants can actually now see the ocean. After a glimpse there is actually a rather good view down to St Ives Harbour on the front right.
In a further attempt to keep people away from the town centre, the road was re-engineered some years ago and the mainline of the road now bears left along Albert Road to the above-town car parks. A3074 traffic must TOTSO right and pass a sign prohibiting motor vehicles during the daytime except for those "permitted". It is unclear from the sign how one would be so authorised. The road drops down a hill into the town, passes above the station and then becomes narrow, losing its centre line. It ends at a staggered crossroads in the town centre with both the left turn and forward directions being the B3306. There is a sign here directing "through traffic (B3306)" All indications are that it is still that road, but never mind.
If you go in the summer months, the four-mile route will seem a lot longer because of the slow going.
History
Except for the southernmost section which was numbered B3307, the whole route used to be an extension of the B3306. It was changed to the current designation by 1929 in one of the very early re-numberings. The B3306 was, in recompense, given a small extra route through the town to the harbour which used to be the B3308, although this change could have taken place later.
