Ben Maguire asks for A30 works review over village traffic concerns

The A30 works were meant to get easier to live with once the closures moved to overnight. North Cornwall’s MP says that is not what he is hearing.

Ben Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, has written to National Highways’ South West Regional Director asking for an urgent review of the A30 improvement works and the diversion that goes with them.

What the letter says

In the letter, Ben says long tailbacks have continued to build on the A30. He says drivers are leaving the main road to avoid the queues and using local roads instead, which he describes as having an unacceptable impact on surrounding villages.

He says residents had been assured that disruption would ease once overnight closures were introduced, and that in his view this has not happened.

What he is asking for

Ben has asked National Highways to review the scheme, including whether the road works could be built in phases. He also says the current diversion arrangements can no longer be managed by signage alone.

Ben Maguire said: “National Highways assured residents that disruption would ease once overnight closures came in, but that has just not been the case. The sheer volume of traffic still using the A30 means long tailbacks are building up, and drivers are being forced onto local roads that simply weren’t built to cope, meaning it’s now the villages along the route that are seriously paying the price.

“I’ve asked National Highways to urgently review this scheme, including looking at a phased approach to the works. My constituents cannot be expected to put up with this completely intolerable level of disruption, and I’ll keep the pressure directly on National Highways’ senior team until real changes are made on the ground.”

📷The A30 road, Cornwall, UK