A39 shuts overnight between Truro and Playing Place from Monday

Anyone who drives the A39 south out of Truro after dark next week will want a plan B. From Monday 17 August the stretch between Arch Hill and Playing Place closes overnight while it is resurfaced, and the diversion is a good deal longer than the bit of road being shut.

What is happening and when

CORMAC is carrying out surface treatment and maintenance work on the A39 for Cornwall Council, starting on Monday 17 August and due to finish by Tuesday 25 August.

The road will be closed between 7pm and 6am, Monday to Friday only. Weekend nights are not affected.

Cornwall Council says the programme has been designed to keep the closures as short as possible, and the work is being done overnight to keep daytime traffic moving.

📷Credit: Cornwall Council / CORMAC

What the work involves

The main job is a process called asphalt preservation. Rather than digging out and replacing the road, the treatment seals the surface that is already there and follows the profile of the existing carriageway, which stops water getting into it and buys the road years it would otherwise lose.

Alongside that, crews will carry out ploughing and siding works along sections of the route. That means stripping back encroaching vegetation and the build-up of muck along the edges, restoring the carriageway to its full width and clearing out the drainage channels. Better drainage, better visibility, and a road edge that is actually where it is supposed to be.

Once the treatment has cured, the road markings go back on.

Rain could move the dates

Asphalt preservation only works in dry conditions, which is why the job is booked for August rather than the winter. If the weather turns, the programme may have to shift.

CORMAC says advance warning signs on site will be kept updated with the latest information if that happens.

📷Credit: Cornwall Council / CORMAC

The diversion

Diversion signs will go up at major junctions on the key routes before the closure starts, and all through traffic is expected to follow them at all times.

The signed route is a wide loop. With the A39 shut between Arch Hill and Playing Place, traffic is sent west out of Truro along the A390 through Threemilestone, Chacewater and Scorrier towards Redruth, then south and back east through Ponsanooth, Perranarworthal, Devoran and Carnon Downs to rejoin the A39 at Playing Place. That is a lot of miles to replace a couple, so build in the extra time.

Buses and emergency vehicles

Bus services will be let through the closed site on the first three nights, from Monday 17 August to Wednesday 19 August, driving slowly so the crews can work safely around them. After that, buses follow the diversion with everyone else.

If your journey might be caught up in it, the latest service changes are on the Cornwall Council planned public transport disruptions page.

Access will be maintained for emergency services throughout.

Who to ask

Questions about the preservation treatment itself go to [email protected]. Anything else goes to [email protected].

Live information on closures and diversions across the network is on one.network, and the wider programme of works is listed on the CORMAC in your area pages.

Problems with a road, pavement or footway can be logged at cornwall.gov.uk/reportroad. If it is an immediate threat to public safety, the 24 hour number is 0300 1234 222.

📷Credit: Cornwall Council / CORMAC