West Country Tamar Bridge

Businesses in Cornwall feel there's a deliberate bid to cut them off from the rest of Britain.

Just as the summer tourist season gets in full swing, the two main routes into the county have major roadworks, causing serious congestion. It means the bottleneck on the single carriageway section of the A30 at Temple will be worse than ever - with huge tailbacks expected while repairs are carried out on the Tamar Bridge.

John Andrews has been finding out more.

Cornwall Council and Highways England say they regret the disruption.

Business leaders in Devon and Cornwall are furious at a 'double whammy' of roadworks they say will seriously damage trade

The main road on the Tamar Bridge will be closed from 8pm Friday until 6am on Monday for the next two or three weekends. A side road will remain open in both directions but it will still cause delays.

To add to the problem, the A38 Carkeel roadworks will still be going on at the same time.

Bridge bosses say the work is vital, but local business people say it's terrible timing.

Traffic is moving slowly across the Tamar Bridge following an accident which has shut the eastbound lane.

The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry tolls could be hiked by "any amount" without getting the go-ahead from the Government, under plans being considered.

Tolls at the crossings were last increased in March 2010, with the Tamar Tag - which offers half-price crossings - being introduced in 2007. The current toll is £1.50 for cars, or 75p for Tamar Tag users.

Plymouth City Council and Cornwall Council jointly run both the bridge and Torpoint Ferry that separate Devon and Cornwall and last month announced the discounted pre-paid electronic payment scheme to use both would increase by 80p a month.

New plans could see drivers who buy a Tamar Tag to use the crossing from Cornwall to Devon could face an 80 pence a month increase.

The committee that runs the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry say it's facing a shortfall of up to a million pounds a year. It's now looking at increasing the charge for the electronic tag. A public consultation has started this weekend and will run until 7th November.

The Tamar Bridge connecting Cornwall and Devon has been closed tonight while police deal with an ongoing incident. Officers are directing traffic at the scene.