Suffolk villagers are to face a huge diversion next week when a short stretch of road closes for a month.

East Anglian Daily Times: The Street in Hollesley Picture: GOOGLE MAPSThe Street in Hollesley Picture: GOOGLE MAPS (Image: Archant)

The Street in Hollesley, in the east of the county, will be closed from October 29 between Tower Hill Road and Parsons Hill for four weeks.

The stretch of road affected is just 100m long but the diversion proposed by Suffolk Highways is around 17 miles, passing through a number of east Suffolk villages.

The closure will be for 24 hours a day and only emergency vehicles will be allowed through.

Local traffic will still be able to use some local roads.

Helen Lewis, the chair of Hollesley Parish Council said that most local traffic would be able to cope with the diversions but that other, larger vehicles could struggle.

“I think local people will cope with it,” said Mrs Lewis, “The real problem will be the farm traffic.”

“It’s going to be very difficult but we are going to have to cope with it.”

Mrs Lewis said many of the local roads that residents would be using would be unsuitable for the tractors and lorries which served the surrounding farms as they were only single track roads in places.

Staff at The Shepherd and Dog Inn pub, which is in the middle of the closed section of the road, believe the work will be beneficial in the long run.

“We know we have support from the locals,” said Helen McClennon-Warnock, a member of the bar staff at the pub.

The Shepherd and Dog Inn sits in one of the lowest parts of the village and has had problems with flooding in the past.

The work on the road should help to fix some of this issues.

“It’s going to benefit us in the long run,” said Mrs McClennon-Warnock.

A spokesman for Suffolk Highways added: “The road closure is necessary to undertake major drainage improvements to alleviate property flooding.

“The works involve the installation of new drainage infrastructure, up to three metres in depth.

“Due to the extent of the works, open excavations will make the road impassable, unsafe for road users and our workforce.

“Official diversion routes are in place to carry the same class of vehicle to the road which is closed.

“Local alternative routes are available to residents with knowledge of the area.”