New A30 safety sign work starts

Work has started on installing a new safety device on the A30 in Cornwall to warn drivers about traffic queues.

The £420,000 project at Shallowater, between Bodmin and Launceston, replaces a manually-controlled sign on the westbound carriageway of the road.

The Highways Agency said the automatic detection system would help reduce the risk of rear-end crashes caused by restricted visibility in the area.

The work will take about four months to complete and will see lane closures.

Instant warnings

Nigel Dyson, the Highways Agency project manager, said: "Currently, when a queue builds-up, we have to rely on our patrols or members of the public to let us know; we then activate the queue warning signs, and all this can take time.

"The new signing system will instantly warn drivers of queues ahead, improving safety."

The work will involve the installation of detection loops, cabling and electronic equipment over a three-mile (4.8km) stretch of the westbound carriageway.

For the first three weeks, the westbound carriageway will be closed between the Colliford Lake junction and St Breward Crossroads and a contraflow system will be in place on the eastbound carriageway.

The Temple junction and the St Brewards Crossroads will also be closed. Diversions will be in place and a temporary 50mph speed limit will be in place.