Suffolk Chamber statement on national Highway’s seven-week Orwell Bridge joint replacement programme

Suffolk Chamber’s recent report, Broken Down: the economic impact of the A14 in Suffolk, evidenced the negative consequences of closures and delays along this vital roadway on both current business operations and on companies’ future investment and jobs creation plans. The report made a number of short and long-term recommendations as to how these impacts could be reduced and better managed.

Whilst obviously understanding the rationale for the planned maintenance work, Suffolk Chamber is looking to National Highways in particular to improve its informing and warning communications to users.

Firstly, it is vital that there are longer lead-in times announcing subsequent planned interventions than the two months provided for in this particular case. Businesses quite rightly expect to have a view of indicative disruptions over a period of years, not just months – even if these change over time.

Secondly, National Highways must now commit to implementing two of the recommendations contained within the Broken Down report; namely investing in an automated messaging service, such as WhatsApp, to provide real-time alerts and updates to all drivers using the Orwell Bridge and agreeing to deploy its own traffic incident staff to assist the police in more speedily clearing accidents or breakdowns either side of the Bridge from the Copdock Interchange to the Seven Hills Roundabout in order to avoid serious delays during the work on the Bridge.

Suffolk Chamber continues to work with our MPs of all parties to lobby for longer term improvements to the road, rail, mobile and utilities infrastructure in Suffolk which are so central to the county’s ongoing sustainable prosperity and growing national economic importance.