Seven weeks of maintenance work planned for A14 Orwell Bridge in Ipswich for joints replacement

Motorists are being warned to expect disruption as seven weeks of roadworks are planned for the Orwell Bridge in Ipswich.

Construction is set to begin in mid to late June to replace the bridge’s two westbound expansion joints — the first time since 1998.

The work is expected to take around seven weeks to complete and the new joints are built to last for 50 years, helping to reduce the risk of unexpected closures in the future.

A National Highways spokesperson said its teams will be ‘working around the clock’ to keep the bridge open to traffic for ‘much of the time’, with one lane of traffic in each direction under contraflow.

Some full overnight closures will be required — however, the spokesperson said this will be kept to a minimum.

They said: “Ensuring the safety of our workforce and everyone using the Orwell Bridge is our top priority.

“Our intention is to carry out the work over the summer, avoiding local events such as the Suffolk Show.

“This will also mitigate the risk delays caused by poor weather if we were to carry out this work in the autumn and/or winter months.

“While some delays are to be expected, the contraflow option allows us to complete the work as safely and quickly as possible and minimise disruption caused by diverted or displaced traffic through Ipswich.

“We are committed to ensuring all local communities, businesses and road users are well-informed.

“As we finalise the construction programme, we will be collaborating with key stakeholders and businesses to provide time for them to plan ahead to avoid disruption.”