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Port inundated after A14 Stack is Lifted
Page 8
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By Chris Tindalt SUFFOLK POLICE are hailing last week's Operation Stack on the A14 as a success, despite huge congestion at the Felixstowe port when the lorry queuing procedure was finally lifted.
Winds of more than 45mph battered the container terminal and forced it to close last Tuesday and Wednesday; as a result, HGVs were directed off the A14 on to the old A45 road at Levington to wait until conditions improved.
Police say drivers co-operated and isolating the vehicles from the rest of the traffic on the main Aroad prevented delays. However, despite a ticketing system for parked-up lorries bound for Felixstowe port, it was inundated with hundreds of vehicles when the emergency procedure was lifted on Thursday morning.
Detective Alec Morrison says: "The problem is there's no scientific way of finding out how many trucks are going to turn up. My understanding is that when this happens, the congestion stops the dock workers from getting into the port and servicing the lorries. It was pure volume of lorries."
Local lorry park owner Karl Rout says the 'wind-off' boosted business, with all his bays full on Wednesday night: "We were stuffed full," he says. "It was the first time we had to turn anyone away. It was roughly where we need to be every night."
Rout says the ticketing procedure is flawed because it doesn't take account of all the hauliers that need to reach the port but decide not to park in the Stack.
And he says local council plans to ease congestion on the A14 by building a third lane at the Dockspur roundabout in Felixstowe won't resolve congestion issues: -That isn't where the problem is; the pinch point is at the A14/Al2 up to the Nacton interchange."
• Suffolk and Norfolk Police and the Road Haulage Association have launched a Iruckwatch' text warning service to provide driven with crime, port and congestion-related information. Register at: www.onesuffolk.co.uldtruck watch/policemessaging