Highways chiefs are monitoring a busy Felixstowe junction after repeated complaints from motorists about delays and traffic congestion.

The problems at the Garrison Lane traffic lights stem from changes made by Suffolk County Council to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Since the work to create a four-way crossing for people on foot, and to make more space for cyclists by removing all bar the final short section of the right-turn lane on High Road West, there have been long queues both at peak and off-peak times.

The worst of the problems are suffered by drivers heading from Walton towards Felixstowe.

Town councillor Kimberley Williams said the delays lead to frustration and made it difficult for all road users.

She told the town council: “It’s a very dangerous situation and one which needs to be resolved urgently.”

Graham Newman, chairman of the joint county-town council highways advisory group, said there had been many complaints about the delays at the junction and he had reported the problems to the highways department and adjustments had been made to the traffic signals.

He felt the biggest difficulties were experienced when students leave Felixstowe Academy in the afternoon.

However, he had been caught in traffic at 9.10am, when the tailback extended to half-a-mile to Recreation Lane/Walton Court and was getting longer – “completely disproportionate to the queue westbound, or indeed either way on Garrison Lane”.

He said: “Once again, this is not allied to the pre-9am rush to work or the academy start time, pointing to the fact that these signals need further adjustments to cope with traffic using the junction.

“To the non-expert observer, it appears the right hand filter needs to be on for longer, with westbound traffic stopped accordingly, to create proportionate delays on all four arms of the junction.”

Mr Newman said the solution would be a redesign of the junction, but the narrow road width meant no room for an extra lane. Highways officials have agreed to visit the junction and assess it.