Improvements are being introduced in two Clay Country villages to make them safer and more accessible for people walking, cycling and using public transport.
The works in Roche and Bugle are being undertaken by Cormac on behalf of Cornwall Council as part of the Mid Cornwall Metro active travel scheme.
The improvements are designed to further connect the village centres with their railway stations, schools, recreation facilities and local services.
The projects will introduce a series of new crossing points, footway improvements and public realm enhancements.
Works in Roche are expected to be completed in the spring of next year. The first phase, including the construction of a new build-out and raised crossing, is taking place outside Roche Community Primary School.
Following completion of the initial works, construction will move to the B3274 Trezaise Road, where a new raised table crossing point will be installed between the skate park and the opposite footway. A further raised table crossing point will be installed near the junction with Higher Trerank Lane.
Work will then move to Fore Street, outside the churchyard. An existing build-out will be extended, widening the footway and providing a safer crossing point through the introduction of a new raised table.
Once the above elements have been completed, final carriageway surfacing and road marking works will be undertaken on the roundabout and its approaches. To minimise disruption, these works may need to be carried out overnight under a temporary road closure.
The next major phase of the project is due to start in November and continue until around March. This phase will see the existing roundabout at Victoria Square transformed into a new raised T-junction designed to improve pedestrian accessibility and create a more welcoming village centre. During this period, a road closure will be required between the junction with Chapel Road and the corner adjacent to the pasty shop and Chinese takeaway. Vehicles needing to access or leave the village via Victoria Road will be diverted via the A391.
A further phase of work is scheduled to begin in late-September and carry on until around February, delivering a new virtual footway along Victoria Road near Roche railway station.
Upon completion, access along Victoria Road will be permanently restricted to residents and buses only, in both directions, helping to create a safer environment for pedestrians and encourage more sustainable local journeys.
Meanwhile, works in Bugle are expected to run until mid-December and will be completed in phases.
Footway widening on the B3278 between the school gates and the New Street junction and improvements to the parking layby at the Spar shop are expected to take around three weeks.
Then a new pedestrian crossing point will be provided at the New Street junction, with the junction being temporarily closed while this work takes place. Afterwards, New Street will become one-way, entering via Crescent Road.
The Molinnis Road junction improvements will include traffic-calming measures, while resurfacing and road marking on sections of St Austell Road will require night-time closures.
Clay Country Village Works Linked to Mid Cornwall Metro