Launceston’s A388 shuts overnight for a fortnight of resurfacing

If you drive through Newport Square in Launceston after dark this month, you will need another way round. From the middle of August the A388 through the square is closing every week night while crews lay a fresh surface, and the work could run for a fortnight.

The closure starts on Monday 17 August and covers the A388 at Newport Square. It is a night-time job, in place from 7pm to 4am each week night, and Cornwall Council expects it to take up to two weeks to finish. The road reopens each morning once the crews clear the site.

What is closing, and when

The work is being carried out by Cormac, the Cornwall Council company that looks after the county’s roads, as part of its highway maintenance programme. Newport Square sits on the A388, one of the main routes in and out of Launceston, so the overnight timing is meant to keep disruption down while the town is quiet.

To let people get around the closure, the usual No Entry restriction on St Stephen’s Hill is being lifted for the length of the works. Traffic marshals will manage that stretch, with entry allowed from the northern end only and kept to residents who need access. Through traffic cannot use it, and will need to follow the signed diversions instead.

Parking suspended along the site

A Clearway Parking Zone will be in force along the full length of the site during working hours. That means any vehicle left in the signed areas can be towed away, and charges apply to get it back. Designated parking bays inside the zone will be suspended while the works are on.

The rule comes in under the Traffic Management Act 2004, with Cormac declaring the road a Clearway zone on the council’s behalf for the period of the works. Every household and business in the affected area should get a letter before the work starts, and signs will go up to warn drivers. The site team says it will always try to find the driver or owner of a parked car before calling for it to be removed. If a vehicle is towed, an approved contractor takes it to a safe place and the owner needs to phone 0300 1234 222 to arrange collection.

Getting in and out during the works

Access for residents and businesses will be kept open through gateways managed by the marshals, though the council is warning of significant delays. Drivers will need to stop at the gateways and let staff guide them into or out of the site by the right route. If machinery has to move, there could be longer waits, or people may be asked to come in from the other end of the closure.

Emergency access will be kept open at all times.

Cornwall Council has also acknowledged that night working brings noise, and says it understands that can be frustrating for people living nearby. The plan is to get the noisiest jobs done as early in each shift as possible, and to keep the impact down if the work overruns.

Watch your step near the works

While the job is under way, the council is asking people to be aware of a few hazards around the site: an uneven road surface where the old top has been taken off, raised manholes, gullies and other service boxes, and varying kerb heights when stepping off the footway. Where crossing points are provided, use them.

Resurfacing is weather dependent, and cold temperatures or heavy rain can push the dates back. The council says the details are correct at the time of circulation but can change at short notice, and if the work is postponed it will try to update the advance notice boards on site.

Buses may be affected too. Any changes to services are posted on Cornwall Council’s planned public transport disruptions page, and up to date information on roadworks and diversions across the network is on one.network.

Anyone with questions about the resurfacing can email [email protected]. Road, highway or footway problems can be reported through the council’s report a road issue page, and anything that is a threat to public safety should go to 0300 1234 222, a line staffed around the clock.