A143 between Ixworth and Stanton closed after melting

The A143 between Ixworth and Stanton was closed on July 7 after warm temperatures damaged the road.

In the village of Stanton, the state of the road and the necessary diversion could hamper trade for the rest of the week while Suffolk's highway team works to reopen the road by Monday, July 13.

Jordan Griffiths, owner of JG Services, a vehicle repair shop in Stanton, said: "The road being closed means our recovery trucks are doing a four or five-mile diversion every single time we're going out, which therefore means our recovery times are longer.

"We've got 30 to 40 sales cars here, which are getting absolutely smothered in dust, left front and centre from the road; they're spreading salt and grit.

The A143 which has been damaged due to the heat. (Image: Mathew Chandler)

"Cars are coming in, actually covered in stones and tar; the whole road is just an absolute mess."

JG Services is offering to collect customers' cars so it doesn't mess up their schedule, but it means his team are having work extra hours.

Customers are turning up 'frustrated' after having to use back roads (Image: Mathew Chandler)

The road also had to close in May due to the surface melting in the heat.

For larger vehicles there will be a 62-mile diversion due to the closure.

Mr Griffiths has called the diversions “diabolical” and said that customers are turning up stressed because they’re having to use alternative routes.

Defects have meant the road has been identified for further works later this summer, but weather and traffic have accelerated the deterioration.

Mathew Chandler, owner of Stanton Service Station, has also said the road closure has impacted trade.

"So far we've lost three MOTs, and what the rest of the week brings is anyone's guess.

“People are frustrated because they get all the way up here and then the road is closed 20 yards past, so they have to turn around,” he said.

Lorries and HGVs are having to use back roads to Bardwell and Wyken, which Mr Chandler has described as "chaos".

Suffolk Highways has spread granite dust to maintain the roads in extreme heat.

Suffolk Highways plans to reopen the road by next week (Image: Simon Lee)

Councillor Christopher Hudson, cabinet member for highways, said: "Across our entire road network, we have identified around three miles of separate stretches of carriageway that have been impacted by the heat.

“Our teams are actively monitoring road conditions, carrying out inspections and applying preventative treatments where necessary to reduce the risk of deterioration.

"We appreciate the inconvenience that road closures and repairs can cause, but safety remains our priority. We would like to thank residents and road users for their patience while this essential work is carried out."

What is impacting the roads?

 Additional pressure is being placed on roads due to the prolonged periods of hot weather.

Roads in the UK are designed to withstand cold and wet weather conditions, which have historically presented the greatest challenge to highway infrastructure.

However, during extended periods of exceptionally warm weather, road surface temperatures can exceed 60C, causing the bitumen binder within some road surfaces to soften and rise to the surface.

Suffolk Highways continues to monitor conditions across the county.

This has included reducing speed limits in Stanton and also along a stretch of the A140.