State of Pakenham’s Mill Road and Fen Road lambasted by residents and council after A1088 bridge project in Stowlangtoft

The state of a village’s roads after a bridge reconstruction project has been lambasted by residents.

In the wake of the Bridge Farm Bridge works, on the A1088 at Stowlangtoft, Pakenham villagers said rat-running by drivers to avoid the official diversion has left their roads severely damaged.

Nick Davey, chairperson of Pakenham Parish Council, said the situation, which has particularly affected Mill Road and Fen Road, is ‘totally unacceptable’ and has called on Suffolk Highways to acknowledge the damage and remedy it.

Highways said it would be difficult to predict the extent of any defects and whether they were a direct result of not following the official diversion. Cllr Davey said Highways warned Pakenham could be used as a rat-run at the start of the project.

“The road now looks more like a main road,” he said. “Everyone is in agreement that the state of Mill Road and Fen Road is totally unacceptable and I believe Suffolk Highways should acknowledge this and show compassion towards the residents and reinstate the once picturesque country lane back to what it was.”

Cllr Davey said he has been in contact with their county councillor, Beccy Hopfensperger, about the issue and she had been ‘very supportive’. The A1088 bridge reopened last week having been shut since July for the reconstruction.

This was delayed by several months due to a mix-up at a concrete plant supplying the project, as exclusively revealed by SuffolkNews.

A Pakenham resident told SuffolkNews the village had had to put up with more traffic during the morning and evening rush hour periods, which was made worse by the nearby Kiln Lane restriction.

They said: “Things haven’t been helped by speeding, self-entitled drivers lacking in courtesy, who have used the lanes as ‘rat runs’.”

The resident said they had to be more cautious entering and leaving their driveway, not knowing what other drivers were going to do. They questioned whether the budget for the A1088 project factored in restoring the surrounding roads which have been damaged.

Cllr Hopfensperger said she has been contacted by many residents with ongoing concerns about the roads, and has called for a site visit.

She said: “I’ve asked for a site visit by Highways officers to come and to see what we can do going forward, with residents and the parish council, to look at priority planning of action to repair the damage.

“I think it’s really important residents and the council have a chance to have a say as they’re people that live with it day in, day out.”

A Highways spokesperson said the bridge reconstruction would not have factored in the cost of undertaking future repairs to surrounding roads.

They said: “Now the works have concluded we are liaising with the local member to arrange for a site visit to review the condition of Fen Road, and any other roads in this vicinity, to identify defects resulting from additional traffic during the closure of the A1088 that may now require repairs.”