A12 between Ipswich and Lowestoft to undergo £64m upgrades

A new dual carriageway, roundabout upgrades and improvements to bus links are part of the improvements included in Suffolk County Council's A12 major road network. 

The government has committed £54m of funding to the cost, while local development contributions, such as from the planned Sizewell C nuclear power station on the coast, will fund the remaining costs.

The Government has committed £54million to the scheme (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Planned works will see the roundabouts from the A14 at Seven Hills, near Ipswich, to the A1152 at Woods Lane upgraded. 

A new dual carriageway will also replace the existing single carriageway between the B1438 and B1079.

Richard Smith, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for economic development, transport strategy and waste, said: “Suffolk County Council has fought long and hard for this scheme, so I am pleased that the government has announced its commitment to fund most of the cost of the project.

Richard Smith, of Suffolk County Council (Image: Suffolk County Council)

"These improvements will future-proof the A12 and deliver major benefits to local communities and to people travelling around Suffolk, the road being a link between our two largest towns, Ipswich and Lowestoft.

“Also, it is a critical bottleneck in accessing the east Suffolk coast, which is the location of several Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, including Sizewell C. This funding will allow us to meet the timescales of Sizewell C and minimise congestion and network disruption during its construction.

“I would like to thank the government for recognising the importance of this scheme, the positive impacts of which will be far-reaching.”

Suffolk County Council said the project will also deliver improvements to bus links and walking and cycling connections to reduce the issue of severance for communities on either side of the A12.