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Felixstowe roadworks won't mean HGV village detours

21st May 2009, Page 8
21st May 2009
Page 8
Page 8, 21st May 2009 — Felixstowe roadworks won't mean HGV village detours
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By Chris TindatE FEARS THAT HGVs will be forced off the AI4 and into Suffolk villages while improvements are made to routes into Felixstowe Port have been dismissed by the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

The expansion of the UK's largest container term inal (pictured in use, right) will mean the number of lorries on the A-road heading for the port are estimated to rise by 50% to 6,000 per day.

Road projects to handle the huge increase in traffic include building a third lane at the port town's notorious Dock Spur roundabout, which can jam up with traffic when the port closes, Hutchison Ports is putting up the f85m funding for the infrastructure improvements, which are due to be finished by April 2010. A port spokesman says the roadworks should only take a few nights to complete. He adds: "The process is under way with the Highways Agency (HA) at the moment, everything is on schedule.The work envisages four overnight closures only to facilitate the works.

"There are no plans for significant or lengthy delays" Gordon Telling, FTA policy manager, says local reports that lorries will have to find alternative routes through nearby villages are wide of the mark.

"1 think that's highly unlikely. It's more likely there will be a contraflow system. Box hauliers wouldn't allow their drivers to go off the main route in case they got lost or got into trouble. They will tough it out and remain on the contraflow."

Meanwhile, the HA says that a contractor has not yet been appointed for the scheme, and so it does not yet have a programme of works or details of diversions.

A spokesman adds: "It is likely that overnight lane closures will be needed during the works."

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