National Highways is advising drivers to plan their journeys ahead of work resuming next week under closures of the A30 in Cornwall.

As part of National Highways' A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross road upgrade, work will be taking place under overnight closures, from 8pm to 6am, on Monday (8 January), Tuesday (9 January) and Wednesday (10 January) and a full weekend closure from 8pm on Friday, 12 January to 6am on Monday, 15 January.

The new year programme of work follows pre-Christmas closures, which saw the partial opening of the new, temporary surfaced Chiverton flyover and the opening of the north-south B3284 link across the Chybucca junction.

Work next week will involve further surfacing across the Chiverton flyover, significant drainage and central reservation work at the western end of the scheme, together with other construction work close to the live carriageway.

Neil Winter, National Highways' Senior Project Manager for the A30 scheme, said: "The partial flyover opening was a real milestone for the project and both the flyover and the B3284 link opening at Chybucca have helped to improve traffic flows for people travelling through and across the scheme.

"After next week's work, motorists should experience smoother journeys but won't see any difference to their travel.

"We need to have the closures in place to carry out the work, and in the meantime we advise people to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.

"We are progressing the work as quickly and as safely as we can, we are continuing to communicate with communities and businesses affected by the work, and we thank people in advance for their patience as we move towards completing this massive road upgrade for Cornwall."

During the three overnight closures and the weekend closure, from 8pm on the Friday to 6am on the Monday, westbound traffic will be diverted from Boxheater on the A30 via the B3285 and the A3075 to rejoin the A30 at Scorrier, with the eastbound diversion route in reverse.

Due to a low bridge (4.7 metres) at Scorrier, HGVs will be diverted via the A393 and A39 to rejoin the A30 at Carland

The A30 could be reopened earlier than the 6am deadline on Monday, and in the meantime, drivers can obtain up-to-the-minute travel information via roadside messaging, local radio, the @HighwaysSWEST Twitter feed, by phoning the National Highways Information Line on 0300 123 5000 or by accessing the website: www.trafficengland.com

Once the current phase of work is completed, further overnight closures will follow later in the month, with details to be communicated in advance.

The new A30 dual carriageway is scheduled to be opened at the end of this winter and more information and further scheme updates are available at National Highways' A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross web page .

The cost of developing the scheme is being partly funded by an £8 million contribution from the European Regional Development Fund, with an additional £12 million for the construction phase. The remainder of the cost of developing and delivering the scheme is being funded by central Government.