The A30 in Cornwall

[Lewis1997]

Roads are classified as primary because of the importance to traffic and the amount of money allocated to their upkeep and maintenance. Just look at the A830, to pick a random example.

I understand that but to me, once you've reached the end of the dual-carriageway at the Penzance (East) roundabout, it feels the last leg of the A30 isn't as important as most traffic either offloads into Penzance town centre or continues for Land's End and other locations across Penwith. As for upkeep and maintenance, well, the fact that Cornwall Council had to chip in to get Temple completed sooner says it all to some degree, and no doubt will also be the case in the future for any further improvements west of Camborne.

[jackal]

Roads are classified as primary because of the importance to traffic and the amount of money allocated to their upkeep and maintenance. Just look at the A830, to pick a random example.

I understand that but to me, once you've reached the end of the dual-carriageway at the Penzance (East) roundabout, it feels the last leg of the A30 isn't as important as most traffic either offloads into Penzance town centre or continues for Land's End and other locations across Penwith.

Yes, and if you're heading for Land's End or other destinations in western Penwith, what road do you get funneled along? The Penzance bypass. Hence the relatively high AADT (12k) and primary status.

[crowntown100]

Roads are classified as primary because of the importance to traffic and the amount of money allocated to their upkeep and maintenance. Just look at the A830, to pick a random example.

I understand that but to me, once you've reached the end of the dual-carriageway at the Penzance (East) roundabout, it feels the last leg of the A30 isn't as important as most traffic either offloads into Penzance town centre or continues for Land's End and other locations across Penwith. As for upkeep and maintenance, well, the fact that Cornwall Council had to chip in to get Temple completed sooner says it all to some degree, and no doubt will also be the case in the future for any further improvements west of Camborne.

a) The main reason it's primary is to draw people out of PZ if they're trying to get to/from West Cornwall. The fact that it is the gateway to the west (so to speak) means that it plays a pretty vital role. There are plenty less worthy examples of primary A-Roads.

b) Primary Status dictates maintenance funding, not capital funding, on local authority roads at least. The A30 through most of Cornwall is trunk, so normally it is funded by Government. However, Cornwall Council wanted Temple built and HA (as it was) and the DfT wouldn't/couldn't fund it in full. AFAIK, the capital expenditure on roads (i.e. new scheme's and improvements) has no effect on the maintenance budget.

However, I do agree that Cornwall Council will have to provide some funding for scheme's west of Camborne, as will the replacement of the ERDF.

[RichardEvans67]

What is ERDF ?

Is it this :
http://www.erdfconvergence.org.uk/

[crowntown100]

What is ERDF ?

Is it this :
http://www.erdfconvergence.org.uk/

European Regional Development Fund. It's a funding stream from the EU that provides funding to area's that are very poor. Cornwall, I think, was the only place in England at least that qualified for the funding. Due in part to the funding, and in part to the new countries that have joined the EU, Cornwall would have fallen out of that bracket by 2020, but it will need support from the government as it will still be one of the poorest areas of England, if not the UK.

[RichardEvans67]

This may seem a bit off topic, but I just heard on the news that they plan to look for Lithium in old Cornish Tin mines, and a Canadian company already plan to explore a Tin mine near Cambourne.

I think this could mean parts of Cornwall becoming a lot less poor, and roads like the A30 could become more important.

[crowntown100]

This may seem a bit off topic, but I just heard on the news that they plan to look for Lithium in old Cornish Tin mines, and a Canadian company already plan to explore a Tin mine near Cambourne.

I think this could mean parts of Cornwall becoming a lot less poor, and roads like the A30 could become more important.

I'd love to share your optimism, but this has been talked about for years. However, news seems more hopeful this time around, so fingers crossed!

[Chris Bertram]

I did Chiverton to Carland the other day, still very bad, and really stands out from the better sections. Mind you, A38 from Bodmin to Dobwalls is also painful.

[Ruperts Trooper]

I'm not a road engineer so can't offer appropriate solutions to the A30 in Cornwall but by any standards, it's carp - the roundabouts simply don't achieve the necessary flow rates and the single carriageway sections are huge bottlenecks.

We're currently staying on a farm with direct access to the A30 between Longrock and Crowlas - even at this time of year, when tourist numbers are well down, traffic just crawls at little more than walking pace all day long.

The dual carriageway once down to Longrock and the single carriageway on from Penzance to Lands End copes fine with shoulder-season traffic levels, but I can't comment on peak period levels.

I'm not a fan of light-controlled roundabouts, usually set for peak flow levels so grossly obstructive off-peak - but maybe such roundabouts would improve flow volumes on the A30.

[Berk]

the roundabouts simply don't achieve the necessary flow rates and the single carriageway sections are huge bottlenecks.

We're currently staying on a farm with direct access to the A30 between Longrock and Crowlas - even at this time of year, when tourist numbers are well down, traffic just crawls at little more than walking pace all day long.

I don’t think these problems are unique to the A30 by any means. I haven’t been driving myself for that many years, but I’ve often seen drivers drive very cautiously, and slowly between roundabout sections. Busier stretches often have ¼-mile tailbacks before them/opposite side. Many drivers seem to allow twice as much time as necessary - both for an oncomer to pass, and themselves to move away.

I'm not a fan of light-controlled roundabouts, usually set for peak flow levels so grossly obstructive off-peak - but maybe such roundabouts would improve flow volumes on the A30.

I tend to disagree. Perhaps if the timings are set reasonably well. But increasingly often they are not, and even more severe queues build up, with short green phases followed by lengthy reds.

[RichardEvans67]

Perhaps this is partly because signals are often used when the roundabout is already over capacity.

[A303Chris]

Just come back from a four day break in St Ives and what a pleasure it is to drive down to Carland Cross now non stop on dual carriageway. I thought Temple was awesome to drive.

Obviously Carland Cross to Chiverton needs to be dualled but after Camborne, I do not find the Connor Down section or Hayle bypass to bad. Connor Downs is all two lane eastbound albeit at 60 miles per hour and there is an S4 section in the middle. To me just making it all S4 for be fine but I have never queued there. May be on a holiday weekend but the road seems fine, alright going westbound I drop to 50 mph, but it didn't seem bad.

To me the quality of the Hayle and Connor Down is fine for the average traffic.

Questions that have bugged me, was when was the Zelah bypass built as this is mainly a bog standard 7.3 metre wide road and not even WSC as Hayle and Connor Downs. Also where does the trunk section of the A30 end at Penzance. I always thought it was at the start of the bypass, but since the Sainsbury's popped up on the old heliport and a new roundabout has appeared I am now thinking its at the Morrisons roundabout at the end of the Long Rock bypass

[wrinkly]

Questions that have bugged me, was when was the Zelah bypass built as this is mainly a bog standard 7.3 metre wide road and not even WSC as Hayle and Connor Downs.

It was opened in 1991 according to the SABRE Wiki page on schemes opened in the 1990s. It is designed to be compatible with future dualling (there has been some dispute on that point in this forum but I think it was agreed in the end). However they now propose instead to bypass it again. I think it was not dualled at the time because Carland to Chiverton had substantially less traffic than the sections to east and west. I drove it in the summer of 1995 and it seemed empty.

Also where does the trunk section of the A30 end at Penzance. I always thought it was at the start of the bypass, but since the Sainsbury's popped up on the old heliport and a new roundabout has appeared I am now thinking its at the Morrisons roundabout at the end of the Long Rock bypass

Like you I thought it ended at the start of the Penzance bypass, but the network map on the HE site (though small scale) seems to show it ending as you describe. The map still shows the heliport.

[Ruperts Trooper]

Just come back from a four day break in St Ives and what a pleasure it is to drive down to Carland Cross now non stop on dual carriageway. I thought Temple was awesome to drive.

Obviously Carland Cross to Chiverton needs to be dualled but after Camborne, I do not find the Connor Down section or Hayle bypass to bad. Connor Downs is all two lane eastbound albeit at 60 miles per hour and there is an S4 section in the middle. To me just making it all S4 for be fine but I have never queued there. May be on a holiday weekend but the road seems fine, alright going westbound I drop to 50 mph, but it didn't seem bad.

To me the quality of the Hayle and Connor Down is fine for the average traffic.

Questions that have bugged me, was when was the Zelah bypass built as this is mainly a bog standard 7.3 metre wide road and not even WSC as Hayle and Connor Downs. Also where does the trunk section of the A30 end at Penzance. I always thought it was at the start of the bypass, but since the Sainsbury's popped up on the old heliport and a new roundabout has appeared I am now thinking its at the Morrisons roundabout at the end of the Long Rock bypass

We differ on this - I too was down in Cornwall on holiday for a fortnight - the traffic south of Camborne down to Long rock Roundabout was bad - nose-to-tail queueing all day every day, both directions - that bad in the September shoulder holiday season it must be hell on earth in summer.

[crowntown100]

However they now propose instead to bypass it again.

This has changed a bit after the PRA a couple of months back, but it will mostly bypass it. I'll set up a thread later.

Like you I thought it ended at the start of the Penzance bypass, but the network map on the HE site (though small scale) seems to show it ending as you describe. The map still shows the heliport.

It ends at Chy-An-Mor at the end of the Long Rock bypass. CC take authority from there, as it was them who dualled it to the west of the roundabout to the start of the Penzance Bypass.

We differ on this - I too was down in Cornwall on holiday for a fortnight - the traffic south of Camborne down to Long rock Roundabout was bad - nose-to-tail queueing all day every day, both directions - that bad in the September shoulder holiday season it must be hell on earth in summer.

+1 I'm afraid. It can be truly awful in peak times and even during rush hour it can be bad.

[Richardf]

Where does the road colour change on the OS maps? That must be where the change occurs.

[Chris Bertram]

Landranger suggests that it remains primary up to Mount Misery.

[multiraider2]

Primary and trunk not necessary overlapping. So there are a few primary miles under CC control.

[wrinkly]

Where does the road colour change on the OS maps? That must be where the change occurs.

No it mustn't, and isn't. It's undisputed that the Penzance bypass is primary but non-trunk. The question is whether this status continues a little further east.

[crowntown100]

Where does the road colour change on the OS maps? That must be where the change occurs.

No it mustn't, and isn't. It's undisputed that the Penzance bypass is primary but non-trunk. The question is whether this status continues a little further east.

Found it! Eastern Green roundabout is, AFAICT, also known as Branwell Lane, i.e. the start of Penzance Primary Distributor Road/Penzance bypass.

I assume what happened was that when the bypass opened in 1989, Cornwall County Council (as it was) had plans to dual the stretch along Eastern Green and so the DfT detrunked it.