Tourists warned they could face disruption in 'Ibiza of the UK' due to big £57m project
Major roadworks in a seaside town in Cornwall could see residents and visitors disrupted for months as a major project gets underway.
A town in Cornwall which is often dubbed the Ibiza of the UK due to its reputation as a party town is facing disruption for at least two months in 2025.
One of the main seaside roads in the tourist town of Newquay is set to be transformed as part of major works which will start next week.
Cornwall Council has announced that its contractor, Cormac, will soon be starting work on Narrowcliff, a clifftop road which is home to several hotels.
This is part of the Mid Cornwall Metro project which will see a staggering £57m injected into the rail links between four of Cornwall’s largest towns: Newquay, St Austell, Truro, and Falmouth/Penryn, CornwallLive reports.
Newquay will see two improvement schemes with the first starting on Monday, January 6, 2025. This phase of the project will take place until March 2025. The improvements will see roads leading to and around Newquay Railway Station safer for pedestrians and cyclists while creating an "attractive gateway" to the area.
The project will begin by removing the centre island on Cliff Road at the Edgecumbe Avenue junction, allowing for the footway from Rocklands back to the pedestrian crossing adjacent to Ulalia Road, to be widened to allow for walking and cycling.
The carriageway will then be narrowed and resurfaced, with road markings installed. A new island will be constructed within the Edgecumbe Avenue junction too, preventing right turns. During the works, the existing granite kerb stones which will be taken up are set to be reused in a later phase of the project.
Due to the placement of the work, a three-way traffic light system will be placed on the Edgecumbe Avenue junction. On Narrowcliff, where Cormac will widen the footway, a two-way traffic light system will be installed.
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A spokesperson for Cormac said: "We do appreciate that this work will cause some short-term disruption for residents and commuters in the area. The lights will be manually operated during peak times and every effort will be made to keep traffic flowing and disruption to a minimum."
The second phase of the scheme is currently in its design stage and will be consulted on next year. This will include the extension of the walking and cycle path along Edgecumbe Avenue to Oakleigh Terrace and will provide more crossing points. Phase two will also see the council propose to increase the free parking duration at Newquay station car park, as well as providing additional parking at Tolcarne Road coach park.
