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Orwell Bridge in Suffolk closes for 10 hours due to wind

BBC The road closure at the Orwell Bridge being put in placeBBC
Highways England said the Orwell Bridge at Ipswich would be closed for 10 hours

A major bridge on the A14 has closed for the second evening running because of high winds.

Highways England shut the Orwell Bridge at Ipswich at 17:00 GMT and said it was likely to remain closed until 03:00.

It said the closure was due to "safety reasons" but it would continue to monitor wind speeds.

The bridge was closed for six hours from 19:00 on Monday because of the effects of Storm Brendan.

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Some people on social media said "it was a joke" closing the road at rush hour.

The bridge closes when wind speeds are likely to exceed the threshold of 50mph (80km/h), depending on the wind direction, to prevent lorries being blown over.

Orwell Bridge, Ipswich
The bridge runs over the River Orwell between junctions 56 and 57 of the A14

Highways England makes the decision based on the Met Office forecast, which said gusts of 50mph were expected.

It said the decision to reopen the bridge could be made within 20 minutes of the first wind speed reading below 45mph (72km/h).