Cornwall Council is installing concrete blocks to stop drivers using a village as a ‘rat run’ to escape delays caused by the on-going work to dual the A30 between Chiverton Cross and Carland Cross.

The blocks are due to be installed early this week after the council said “some motorists continued to ignore road closure signs and cones blocking the road, even getting out of their vehicles to move them as they try and avoid official diversion routes”.

In a statement on social media last week, the council added: “For the safety of residents, we’re installing concrete blocks to enforce the legal closure of the road leading to the village of Silverwell to prevent unauthorised access and ‘rat running’. Motorists are reminded that it is illegal to drive through a road closure.”

Silverwell sits on the St Agnes side of the A30 between Mithian and Mount Hawke.

The announcement was met with a mixed reaction by people on Facebook. One motorist said of the ongoing work, which is due to end in March next year: “It’s the absolute show we all knew it would be, taking over an hour to get through Chivvy. It’s not rat running it’s called local knowledge. Only Cornwall Council would attempt to stop people negotiating around the problem they are responsible for.”

Others were quick to point out that the A30 dualling is being carried out by National Highways and not Cornwall Council.

Other comments included “We had to turn off the Perran road heading to Chivvy and go all the way to Carland Cross to get to Truro yesterday as it was backed up and not moving for a good three miles plus. Absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary” and “Cornwall Council you also need to add more road signs in Mitchell. The road to St Newlyn East is constantly getting blocked”.