MOTORISTS are facing weeks of delays through the summer on a notorious stretch of the A14 as Highways Agency bosses introduce a 40mph speed limit and lane closures.

John Howard

MOTORISTS are facing weeks of delays through the summer on a notorious stretch of the A14 as Highways Agency bosses introduce a 40mph speed limit and lane closures.

A £32 million scheme to provide a safer stretch of A14 at the infamous Haughley Bends is reaching a critical stage as work to tie in the new road to the current carriageway begins.

The Highways Agency is building a new stretch of the road between Haughley New Street and Stowmarket to improve safety and the reliability of journey times.

But in order to undertake the next phase of work managers will have to introduce a 40mph limit on both carriageways from the middle of July until mid September.

And during six weekends - from July 18 to September 2 - there will be a contra flow system in operation from the Friday night to the early hours of the Monday mornings along a four mile stretch of the A14.

One entire carriageway will be closed and traffic moved on to the other during weekends, although Highways Agency managers will not do this during the bank holiday weekend.

Mike Povey, project manager with the agency, said: “I do sympathize with motorists about the delays that will be caused but it is inevitable.

“By limiting it to the weekends when traffic is lighter those delays will be kept to a minimum and we do not expect there to be long hold ups. We have done all we can to minimize disruption.

“The whole drive of this work is safety, there is such a poor safety record of this stretch of the A14 and it is a £35 million scheme. “Unfortunately there will be inconvenience for people, but we will complete it as soon we can.”

Villagers living near the work have been dismayed that smaller road closures recently to accommodate the work have also left them facing delays, and claim the diversions are confusing, leading to HGV drivers ending up in villages.