A lengthy curing time for road materials is one of the reasons cited for the latest delays to the reopening of a Bodmin link road.
Greenvalley Road, currently a private road owned by Wainhomes and built to replace the adjacent Boundary road as a road connecting the A389 from Wadebridge to the east of Bodmin and Lanivet, has been closed for a number of months.
Its closure, caused by manufacturing defects in the original road built meaning it was not suitable for adoption by Cornwall Council, making it a public highway, in addition to not conforming with agreed plans, has led to significant tailbacks as all traffic is diverted to the ‘white clock’ double-roundabout.
In the latest delay, the road which was originally set to reopen at the end of July 2023, is not set to open until at least Halloween.
Wainhomes apologised for the impact of the road closure on local people, and said they had asked their contractor to increase labour resources with the aim of bringing forward the completion date as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for Wainhomes said that lengthy curing times for the road materials used was one of the reasons behind the delays. They also denied that the other roads within the developments were not built to adoptable standards after local suggestions that other issues may arise.
The spokesperson said: “We understand the impact of this road closure on local people and we are doing everything possible to ensure the road is fully re-opened as soon as possible to limit further disruption. We have asked our contractor to do all they can to bring this date forward, including increased labour resources.
“We were informed by the contractor that the road materials require substantial curing time before being opened to traffic to ensure the long-term durability of the road, and a requirement to keep Greenvalley Road access open to residents means not all the work could be carried out simultaneously.
“Other private roads within the development have all been constructed to adoptable standards and will only require minor works to meet Cornwall Highways’ requirements. Access will be maintained for residents, who will be notified ahead of any work commencing.”