Highertown closures hit Truro’s A390 from Monday night

Drivers who use the A390 to get in and out of Truro after dark are about to lose their evenings on it. From next week, one of the city’s busiest approach roads shuts overnight, and the closure is expected to run for up to a fortnight.

Truro City Council has confirmed an upcoming Cornwall Council road closure on the A390 through Highertown, between Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske and County Hall, for essential resurfacing works.

When the road closes

The closure begins on Monday 7 September and runs overnight from 7pm to 4am, weeknights only. It is expected to last up to two weeks. The scheme, called the Highertown Carriageway Repair Works, covers full reconstruction of the uphill lane, which has reached the end of its service life. The remaining two lanes will get targeted maintenance treatments instead, aimed at preserving and extending the life of the existing surface.

Because of the reconstruction work, lane closures also stay in place during the day, with two-way traffic managed through the suspended bus lane.

📷Closure route map. Credit: Cornwall Council / Cormac

Getting in and out during the works

Resident and business access into the works area will be maintained throughout, but expect delays. Traffic marshals will be stationed at gateways into the closed section, and drivers will need to stop there while staff help them in or out by the most appropriate route. Pedestrian access is being kept open too, with barrier systems in place to separate people from the works, and emergency access is maintained at all times.

If the site team needs to move machinery or get vehicles through, there may be extra delays, or drivers could be asked to access from the other end of the closure instead.

Why Malabar gets special treatment

The works notice singles out Malabar for a reason. Previous roadworks in the area have shown that extra through traffic quickly causes gridlock in the residential streets there, so this time access into Malabar is being restricted to residents, people needing property access, and staff needing to reach Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske through the area.

Traffic marshals will be posted at the key access points and may ask drivers to confirm their destination or show proof they need to be there, such as proof of address, a copy of the resident letter, or NHS staff identification. A temporary Clearway Parking Zone will also run through Malabar for the duration of the works, on top of the Clearway Parking Zone already planned for the closure itself, to stop the streets narrowing further with parked cars.

“Please do not use Malabar as a shortcut around the closure,” the notice reads. “If you do not require access to a property within the area, please follow the official signed diversion route.”

What a Clearway Parking Zone actually means

Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, Cormac, working on behalf of Cornwall Council, can designate nominated roads as a Clearway Parking Zone for the length of a scheme like this one. Households and businesses affected get advance notice, and signs go up to warn other road users.

Most vehicle owners keep clear without any trouble, but where a car is left blocking the works, the site team will try to track down the driver before asking for it to be moved. If it does get towed, an approved contractor relocates it to a safe location and charges apply. Getting it back means phoning 0300 1234 222.

Anyone on foot should watch their step

The notice flags a few hazards for anyone walking through or near the works: uneven surfaces where the old road has been stripped away, raised manholes, gullies and other service covers, and sudden changes in kerb height where you step off the footway. All the work is being carried out under risk assessment and current health and safety rules, but it is worth being careful moving through the area on foot.

Weather could still move the dates

Resurfacing work is weather dependent, and the notice warns the whole programme, including the utility liaison behind it, could shift at short notice, particularly in cold temperatures or heavy rain. If a night’s work is postponed or cancelled, the advance notice boards on site will be updated.

Diversion signs will go up at major junctions before the closure starts to steer non-local traffic away from Truro altogether, and anyone planning a route through the closure period can check the full closure and diversion documents online. Any alterations to bus services during the works will appear on Cornwall Council’s planned public transport service disruptions page, and any road, highway or footway issue spotted along the way can be reported straight to the council.

The work is being carried out by Cormac. Anyone with questions about the resurfacing itself can email [email protected], and anything that looks like a genuine threat to public safety on site should go to 0300 1234 222, which runs around the clock.

Truro City Council’s advice for anyone using the A390 through Highertown over the coming fortnight is simple: build in extra time.