'Orwell Bridge repairs cost our charity money'

Businesses and a charity said a lane reduction on a major A-road across a river had disrupted trade and cost them extra time and money.

The westbound carriageway of the A14 Orwell Bridge, near Ipswich, was reduced to a single lane on 6 September, after a routine inspection discovered the "potentially unsafe condition" of a joint.

Mike Barrett from the food charity FareShare East Anglia, based in Ipswich, said its fuel bill had increased due to its drivers "having to change routes from the shortest most positive route to try and avoid the jams".

A taxi driver, said the time of his journeys had increased considerably but he was not paid any extra.

National Highways said essential repairs of the "complex operation" started on Friday and would continue until 19 September, when the road was due to fully reopen at 05:00 BST.

Full overnight closures wold take place between 21:00 and 05:00 BST on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It thanked people for their patience and said: "Expansion joints on structures like the 42-year-old Orwell Bridge are specifically designed and an integral part of the road.

"As a result it is not a simple task to replace/repair them and it requires specific equipment and planning to do."

Mr Barrett said: "It's having a huge impact on getting food out and staff and volunteers in, they're having to leave home earlier to try and avoid the traffic jams.

"There are definitely additional costs, for fuel, routes are longer and mileage is higher and the days are longer for all concerned.

"Every extra mile costs."

Oliver Paul, director Suffolk Food Hall, based in Wherstead, in the shadow of the bridge, said: "It's hugely frustrating for local businesses and employees that we get this disruption to the local network and our supply lines, that impact on how we operate.

"You can't plan for this and when it occurs it then has a major effect on what we do.

"We would just like to know how these improvements can be made in a structured fashion rather than being a panic situation."

He said the bridge was a "key linchpin" for the area's economy and it needed to be "taken seriously".

A driver who told BBC Radio Suffolk that his name was Clive said taxi journeys, that normally took him and an hour and three quarters, were now taking him over three hours and 10 minutes.

"It's not good and I know all the shortcuts, I don't get paid any extra for doing extra hours," he said.

"When they have something as important as the Orwell Bridge, and there's repairs, surely they must do a 24-hour service, work 24/7 until its done."

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.