A stretch of road has been closed due to heat damage, forcing drivers to take a lengthy diversion. The closure is causing significant disruption to residents, commuters, and businesses in the area. Larger vehicles, such as recovery trucks, are being particularly affected, with some having to take a 62-mile detour.
Local garage owner Jordan Griffiths described the state of the road as an "absolute mess" and the long diversion as "diabolical". He said recovery trucks have to take a four or five-mile diversion every time they go out on a job, making recovery times longer for customers and workers.
The local MP, Peter Prinsley, has warned of the "significant disruption" caused by the road closure. He said residents, commuters, and businesses are being severely impacted and deserve urgent answers on how the situation was allowed to develop and how quickly the road will reopen.
In a letter to the highways authority, the MP expressed concerns that residents had already flagged concerns about the road condition before the heatwave. He asked how the road was allowed to deteriorate to this extent and whether earlier intervention could have prevented the current level of disruption.
The highways authority, Suffolk Highways, said the worst defects will be repaired this week and that the road had already been identified for further improvement works later this summer. They attributed the road's deterioration to the "prolonged hot weather and local traffic conditions".
Across the county, three miles' worth of road in separate sections have been affected by heat. Teams are monitoring the situation, carrying out inspections, and taking preventative measures to mitigate the impact of the heat damage.
