Motorists may have been left fuming by the delays apparently caused by the new traffic lights at the junction of Civic Drive and Princes Street, but road chiefs insist they will soon settle down.

The lights still have to be connected to the computer system which has been designed to allow town centre traffic to flow as freely as possible.

A spokesman for the county said: “The full benefit of the new traffic system will not be felt until it is all completed – but once the lights are connected to the computers it should start to improve.

“The junction is being constantly monitored – but it is only one major element of the programme.”

He insisted that the improvement was necessary for the future of the town.

“The original title of the project was ‘Ipswich fit for the 21st century’. It was a bit of a mouthful – but it made the point that this was vital for the future of the town.

“If we did not do this work now, by the time the town expands over the next few years the traffic really would grind to a halt.”

Visit ipswichstar.co.uk on Tuesday at noon for a live web chat with transport experts from the Travel Ipswich project