Contractor Costain has completed construction for a key Cornish dual carriageway connecting Chiverton and Carland Cross. The project has been carried out for National Highways and the upgrade work has taken 36 months to complete, boosting transport for this critical south-west connection. Some finishing work remains to be carried out but the main focus of the project is now in use.
The widening of the 14.5km stretch of road reduces congestion, improving journey times for drivers. The project began in March 2020 and saw Costain, National Highways and supply chain partners operate in challenging conditions, including the COVID-19 pandemic and an unprecedented 14 Met Office-classified storms over the last 12 months. The scheme has seen the construction of three new bridges, ten new underpasses and underbridges, and more than 2.6 million m3 of earthworks.
The cost of developing the scheme is being partly funded by an £8 million contribution from the European Regional Development Fund, with an additional £12 million for the construction phase. The remainder of the cost of developing and delivering the scheme is being funded by central Government.
Key achievements have included the safe dismantling of the 32-year-old Tolgroggan bridge between Scorrier and Boxheater, and the construction of a replacement, the construction of a new traffic-free bridge at Chiverton, and the removal of the old roundabout, Cornwall’s worst crash site.
The scheme has also benefitted local wildlife, with 33 multi-species crossing points added along the route, 150,000 trees planted, and the creation of an additional 4.5ha of new woodland.
Rob Taylor, project director, at Costain, said: “This has been a complex and challenging project but from the outset Costain, National Highways and our supply chain partners have worked as an integrated team to find solutions. To see traffic flowing freely on the new dual carriageway is incredibly fulfilling, and this scheme will have a positive impact on people’s lives for many years to come.
Nick Simmonds-Screech, project director, National Highways: “The whole team has worked incredibly hard to move the scheme forward and achieve the opening of the new A30 this June, overcoming a number of major challenges along the way, most notably the Cornish weather.
The project will be formally completed over the coming months, with ancillary, and finishing-up works. This will include structures work, local authority road refinements, landscaping, planting, and other environmental and ecological work to be completed before the site closes down.
