A30 Carland Cross Chiverton Cross

[Gaz909909]

It's a matter of weeks!

Interesting they are working on A390 too.

[IAN]

I think that the contractors will ‘get away with it’ if the road is fully opened as D2 by late July.

However if there’s still a bottleneck at Carland when the school holidays start, coinciding with the 6 week peak holiday period, then, I can imagine the rumblings of discontent will be quite loud. In any event, the LAR will not be open until later in the year so the D2 is very likely to have a speed restriction for several months.

I wonder if the contract contains a penalty clause for late opening?

[RichardEvans67]

In any event, the LAR will not be open until later in the year so the D2 is very likely to have a speed restriction for several months.

I don't get why the LAR would affect speed limits on the D2 (at least not for any length of time). Presumably speed limits would be likely because of finishing other things next to the D2, but I would have thought most of the LAR is far enough away to not affect the D2. I would think the few bits of the LAR that could affect the D2, would be a priority, and so would be completed soon.

[RichardEvans67]

It's a matter of weeks!

It will be if everything goes how they expected about a month ago. Although we have had more bad weather since then, and I don't think we have any updates since then. So Hopefully just a few weeks, but I wouldn't be sure yet.

[IAN]

In any event, the LAR will not be open until later in the year so the D2 is very likely to have a speed restriction for several months.

I don't get why the LAR would affect speed limits on the D2 (at least not for any length of time). Presumably speed limits would be likely because of finishing other things next to the D2, but I would have thought most of the LAR is far enough away to not affect the D2. I would think the few bits of the LAR that could affect the D2, would be a priority, and so would be completed soon.

My reasoning is based not on the distance of the LAR from the new road but I’m thinking that if the LAR is not in use then cyclists, slow vehicles and agricultural vehicles will probably be using the new D2 A30 and could cause a safety issue - I accept that there are a few sections of the existing D2 A30 without a practical alternative route and that some agricultural vehicles do use the A30 so we will see what happens.

The recently opened Dyfi bridge provides a precedent for a road opening with a temporary lower speed limit. In this case the old bridge, which is to be used by pedestrians, cyclists and horses, was not open.

[RichardLP]

Received from National Highways in response to an email regarding opening dates:

"Thank you for your email on 14 May regarding the reopening the old A30.

At this time, we anticipate that the old A30, soon to be the B3288 between Chybucca and Carland Cross, is expected to reopen towards the end of August or the beginning of September. However, we do not have a precise date to share yet, as final preparations are still underway.

The underpasses at Pennycomequick and Trevalso are also anticipated to reopen towards the end of August or the beginning of September.

The Carland Cross flyover is due to open in June. We thank you for your continued patience as we push toward project completion".

[RichardEvans67]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0hz4jcs

The current estimate for opening is about 2/3 of the way through June. He said he's cautious about saying this, as there is still a lot to do at Carland.

[Paul237]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0hz4jcs

The current estimate for opening is about 2/3 of the way through June. He said he's cautious about saying this, as there is still a lot to do at Carland.

Thanks for this. He sounded a bit tongue-tied at points, as National Highways must have a target date in mind but they probably don't want to announce yet it just in case.

His two phrases were "mid to about two-thirds of the way through" and "towards the centre to the second half". So the same thing said in two different ways basically. Therefore, maybe the date they have is mind is the weekend of 15/16 June, with a potential for it to slip to the following weekend (22/23 June).

Selfishly I'm disappointed as I'll be driving down to Cornwall on 14 June, so it's looking likely it won't be quite open by then, but perhaps it will be on my return journey.

It was good to get confirmation that the whole stretch will be fully open with the national speed limit in both directions from June, as I think some of us assumed there'd still be temporary speed restrictions even when the whole 8 mile stretch was open.

----

Edited to add that, despite the National Highways Project Manager being cautious, BBC have the following headline and sub-headline:

A30 works set for a June finish says Project Manager
National Highways' Neil Winter says they're currently on target to finish midmonth

Which isn't quite what he said!

[RichardLP]

Dissapointed to hear they will be scaling back operations with local road access to the B3288 delayed until the autumn. The original plan of 1 year closures has stretched to 2.5 years.

[RichardEvans67]

It was good to get confirmation that the whole stretch will be fully open with the national speed limit in both directions from June, as I think some of us assumed there'd still be temporary speed restrictions even when the whole 8 mile stretch was open.

I'm still not sure whether posters here are right or wrong about opening with reduced speed limits. However I don't see it as a big deal. Reduced speed limits are not ideal, but the capacity improvement would still be there. So I'd consider it OK as a temporary thing.

Actually, even if it initially opened as a GSJ D1, that would be a big improvement on what we have now.

[RichardEvans67]

Dissapointed to hear they will be scaling back operations with local road access to the B3288 delayed until the autumn. The original plan of 1 year closures has stretched to 2.5 years.

That must be a major pain in the proverbial. I think they ought to have done more to keep some local connections open, but it is what it is. All I can say is look forward to local disruption eventually ending.

[RichardLP]

The stretch between Chiverton and Boxheater will be the B3288, becoming the B3285 from Boxheater to Carland Cross.

[adam 1972]

Google Earth desktop app aerial imagery along the entire route has now been updated to 11th May 2024

[IAN]

The stretch between Chiverton and Boxheater will be the B3288, becoming the B3285 from Boxheater to Carland Cross.

Handover of old A30.jpeg

That’s interesting, I wonder if that implies that the priority will be changed at Boxheater so that the B3285 is the main through route. If not, it seems odd that the whole of the old A30 will not be numbered B3288

[wrinkly]

What's the origin of the name Boxheater?

[njtruscott]

What's the origin of the name Boxheater?

Found this https://www.akademikernewek.org.uk/pla ... /boxheater

[wrinkly]

Thank you and welcome to the forum - your second post, I see.

[RichardEvans67]

New video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaFXdWaff70

Well I'm too fatigued to pay proper attention to it now. But it looks good, and I will take a proper look later.

[RichardEvans67]

00:00 Carland.
I first though the WB off slip look a long way from done. But actually, the earthworks look about done, so perhaps not that far of starting to surface. WB On slip looks to be at a similar stage.

WB carriageway looks well into surfacing.
EB carriageway not so good, but perhaps not that far from starting to surface.

00:10 Road from services.
A bit curious about the dark lines across the road. Perhaps a traffic monitor. Perhaps they are going to bury something. Perhaps the WCH crossing. Perhaps something else.

00:32 Curious ramp.
From what will become the LAR, up almost to the EB off slip. Why the ramp. Or is it something they just haven't finished yet.

02:30 Penny under-bridge.
Bridge and D2 look good. But the lane under it looks nowhere near.

02:40 Travalso under bridge.
Ditto.

04:50. Marzanvose Bridge.
Doesn't look like it's progressed much recently.

06:12 Allet Lane Bridge.
Bridge now looks about finished.
Looks like a fair bit of finishing needed to the WB carriageway, and bits of the bank.
Lane under bridge needs quite a bit more.

06:56 Lots of manholes.
The plans show a Cornwall Council pond about here. Perhaps it will actually be more of a tank than a pond. BTW the mainline Pond is separate, and just south of it. Above the picture in this shot.

[Herned]

That's very decent progress at Carland, I reckon they will get it done by the end of June. Maybe not everything finished, and probably a reduced limit, but open