SWEEPING speed restrictions on the notorious A140 in Suffolk will finally be implemented next week.The year-long experimental 50mph speed limit – coupled with slower speeds through villages – is due to come into operation on Tuesday, subject to all the signs being up in time.

SWEEPING speed restrictions on the notorious A140 in Suffolk will finally be implemented next week.

The year-long experimental 50mph speed limit - coupled with slower speeds through villages - is due to come into operation on Tuesday, subject to all the signs being up in time.

Suffolk County Council hopes the move will reduce the number of accidents on the road, the main route between Ipswich and Norwich.

A spokeswoman for the authority said: "The lower limit will complement the introduction of 30mph and 40mph speed limits, which are planned for villages along the road.

"To make drivers more aware of their speed, new vehicle activated signs will be positioned at two locations in each direction. These signs will be activated by either a vehicle travelling too fast or too near another vehicle.

"The message displayed on the signs will read "Too close'' or "Too fast'', or both together. This is as a direct response to recent accident statistics, which show that drivers on the A140 often travel too close and too fast for the road.''

The tough new speed limits in villages have been welcomed by campaigners, but not everyone is certain a 50mph limit along the road is good, and believe it could frustrate motorists.

Mike Cooper-Reade, a Stonham Parva parish councillor, said: "We have been campaigning for quite a long time to get the speed limit reduced through the village.

"We are pleased for the village, it will help. But 50mph may frustrate people, although I know this is only for a trial period. If it does not reduce accidents, perhaps it will go back to what it was.''

Suffolk County Council's approach also drew criticism from Norfolk County Council earlier in the year, where some councillors felt a lot of accidents were due to driver frustration where they wanted to see right turning lanes at junctions and dual carriageway bypasses for larger communities.

Reducing speed limits on the A140 was highlighted in Suffolk County Council's Route Management Study (RMS) as a key way of improving safety, quality of life for residents and driver behaviour.

The experimental order has been agreed for a period of 12 months, during which time the effectiveness of the new speed limit will be assessed.

Monitoring of the speed limits will take place to determine how effective they are in reducing speed and the number of accidents over the first year. If the limits prove effective the intention is to make them permanent.