A134 Sicklesmere Road roundabout project near Bury St Edmunds completed as focus shifts to new relief road to Rougham Hill
A town’s roundabout project has been officially completed after three months of works and eight weekend road closures — paving the way for a new relief road.
A spokesperson for Hopkins Homes confirmed the A134 Sicklesmere Road near Bury St Edmunds has fully reopened ‘as expected’ following the completion of works to support the 363-home Abbots Vale development.
The upgrades, which caused traffic chaos throughout the construction, include the new roundabout, bus stops, a pelican crossing and improved drainage.
The spokesperson said the project will allow work on a new relief road, linking the A134 to Rougham Hill, to take place without further disruption.
They said: “We know this has been a challenging period for local people, and we have done everything possible to reduce the amount of time the road closures and temporary traffic lights were in place.
“We thank the community for their patience, understanding and engagement as we delivered this important and valuable piece of infrastructure.
“Some further work to connect the new homes, including those being built by other housebuilders, to utilities such as high voltage power may be required in the future. However, the most significant pieces of work have now been completed.”
Temporary traffic lights north of the roundabout were removed on Monday, May 5 — the scheduled completion date — marking the end of the project.
With this phase now complete, attention will shift to the construction of the new relief road along with planned improvements to the Southgate Green roundabout.
While one set of traffic lights has been taken down, a second set near Southgate Green remains in place for Anglian Water works unrelated to the development.
Despite the project being finished, Peter Royce, chairman of Great Whelnetham and Little Whelnetham Parish Council, has voiced concerns.
He believes Hopkins Homes should be held accountable for damage caused to roads in the surrounding villages, including Bells Lane and Hawstead Lane, which saw increased traffic during the weekend closures.
Drivers were spotted using these routes to avoid the official 43-mile diversion implemented by Suffolk Highways.
Mr Royce said: “The road surfaces in these roads are actually collapsing because of this.
“Passing places have now got huge dips in them, which I think are quite excessive — you could damage your vehicle while trying to give way to other drivers.
“Will Highways be looking to repair these routes? I think these roads should be prioritised now but I don’t know if that’s being considered at all at the moment.
“I am pleased to see this milestone has been reached, but I do hope lessons have been learnt after what has been a very stressful time for residents in the surrounding areas.”
