The town is still open for business despite the roadworks, which are making driving around the central area a greater challenge than normal.

That was the message today as a combination of roadworks has brought further frustration to motorists heading to the town.

One reader on The Star’s website commented: “More pointless works for such a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

However Ipswich Central and the borough council claim they are working together to try to continue to encourage people to visit the town – and the borough’s car parks are still offering parking for £1 an hour during the day to attract shoppers away from rival centres like Colchester, Norwich and Bury St Edmunds.

While the new shape of the Civic Drive/Princes Street junction is rapidly becoming clear, roadworks in the streets around the Waterfront and the Old Cattle Market bus station are adding to problems faced by motorists.

However these works should not take as long as the major junction remodelling – and once completed should enable traffic to flow better.

And one section of roadworks not associated with the Travel Ipswich programme is due to come to an end soon with the completion of the construction work on the new Premier Inn on Ipswich Waterfront.

Most of the work around the Waterfront is due to be completed by Easter and the Civic Drive/Princes Street junction should be finished by the end of April.

The work in Falcon Street should also be nearing completion by the end of March. Once that work is completed, they will start rebuilding the Tower Ramparts bus station on the other side of the town centre.

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said: “All planned Travel Ipswich roadworks are co-ordinated to minimise disruption.

“We are constantly monitoring the flow of traffic and helping it move by keeping traffic management measures to a minimum and working to avoid over runs.

“There will inevitably be some disruption during this time however the end result of this £21million programme will be smoother traffic flows and cleaner air, modernised bus stations and live passenger information and better looking streets and public spaces.”

n Will the new road network attract more visitors? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email starletters@archant.co.uk