Roadworks in Bury St Edmunds causing headache to businesses

The roadworks in St Andrew's Street South (Image: Archant)

The project currently underway in St Andews’s Road South is to replace old gas iron mains with more dureable plastic pipes.

And it comes as traffic had to go the wrong way up the dual carriageway in Parkway from separate work currently underway to resurface the road from Tayfen Road to Parkway North.

Cadent are carrying out the gas work in what they said is to “ensure we continue to provide safe and reliable gas supplies to local businesses and residents.”

But Dominic Creffield, who owns Karooze and who has a 4ft deep hole outside his premises, said he was not warned about the work and that he is losing vital day time trade.

“We’ve lost half our day’s taking today and we have had to have the doors shut.

“It looks like we have closed and we had no warning that the work was going to take place.

“There is just nobody coming in and when they do they get up and leave because of the noise.

“Smokers go out the front door and block the path outside where people are trying to walk past.

“If we get 120 people inside and half of them are smokers you are not going to get inside because they will be on the path.”

The work started on Monday and is due to last through the summer until September.

And Mark Cordell, chief executive of Our Bury St Edmunds, the businesses improvement group in the town, added: “We did not have any warning about the work and it just seems unbelievable.”

Antony Quarrell, Cadent’s press officer for north London and East Anglia, said: “The new pipes should last for many decades and will help ensure people in the area remain connected to safe and reliable gas supplies for cooking and heating.

“To enable work to be completed safely and efficiently temporary multi way traffic lights are being used to manage traffic flows.

“Work began on June 7 and currently it is anticipated that work will finish on September 13.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience this essential work may cause and we are doing all we can to ensure the work is delivered with as little disruption as possible.

“If people require more information on the work they can call 0800 096 5678, information on Cadent’s gas mains replacement work can also be found at www.bettergaspipes.co.uk”

Last night Parkway was closed forcing vehicles travelling towards the Risbygate Street roundabout to reverse back up on the wrong side of the road to the Kings Road roundabout.

And a lorry held up traffic as it reversed into the entrance of the Parkway car park.

The work is due to be completed tomorrow.