Work to start on resurfacing A14 on Monday with overnight road closure for five weeks
Work is due to start on Monday to reconstruct a stretch of the A14 between the Elmswell/Woolpit junction and Haughley.
The carriageway will be closed from 8pm to 6am every day for five weeks so a contraflow system can be introduced and is set to last until Tuesday, March 28, with eastbound traffic being diverted along the A143 at Bury St Edmunds towards the A140 at Stuston to re-join the A14 at junction 51 near Coddenham. The westbound traffic will be a reverse of this route.
This is likely to add a further 40 minutes travelling time.
However, residents living close to the dual carriageway, especially in Thurston, Elmswell, Woolpit, Wetherden, Haughley, Stowmarket, Needham Market and Great Blakenham, fear there will be an increase in traffic going through their communities as drivers seek shorter routes.
People living in Elmswell are particularly concerned as the closure of School Road has led to large lorries on the smaller roads such as New Road, Warren Lane, Wetherden Road and Church Road, causing hold ups and delays and traffic gridlock.
National Highways said they will be sign posting the diversion route and encouraging HGVs to follow it.
A spokesperson said that they are aware that some road users may choose to use the A1088 to shorten their journey time. It would take them from Ixworth south to Elmswell and through the village.
“To prevent this, we’ll add additional signs at Ixworth on the A143 telling road users to follow diversion ignore Sat Nav, no access to the A14 and weight restricted bridge,” they said.
“There are no plans to put a barrier on the A1088 as this is not part of our approved diversion route.
“We’re speaking with Suffolk Constabulary and we’ll request that they enforce the weight restriction on the A1088 during our overnight road closures. We’ll ask for their support to provide community reassurance. To deter road users from speeding through the villages we will use safety speed camera vans along the main ‘rat runs’ and we’ll share the evidence with the police.
“Once the contraflow is set up road users can stay on the A14 as there will be a westbound and eastbound lane open while we reconstruct the other side.”
National Highways are removing the concrete road surface and its foundations along the stretch of the A14 before rebuilding the road and resurfacing it with asphalt.
Once installed the contraflow system will allow for motorists to use the road with the speed limit reduced to 50mph.