A30 widening plans are approved

The A30 is Cornwall's busiest trunk road

Plans have been devised to speed up a project to turn part of the A30 across Bodmin Moor into a dual carriageway.

Cornwall councillors have voted to back a £6m investment to pay for preparation work for road widening between Temple and Higher Carblake.

It is hoped this would give the project a three-year head start on rival road schemes bidding for government money.

The South West Regional Assembly, which approves road schemes, said the A30 was unlikely to be changed before 2021.

'Not safe'

The section east of Bodmin is the only section of road on a journey between Truro and Scotland which is not either a dual carriageway or motorway.

Arthur Ludgate, from the A30 Action Group, said: "It's not a safe route for us as locals to cross the A30, to join or leave the A30 and it's not safe for those who are travelling on it."

Every summer queues of more than 10 miles (16km) build up at either end of the bottleneck.

Cornwall Council has ring-fenced the £6m to pay for preparation work for the road, rather than wait for government funds to become available.

However there is no guarantee construction will start any sooner, it warned.