National Grid bosses have apologised after admitting a completely different section of Woodbridge Road will be hit by ten weeks of roadworks this summer.

%image(15216700, type="article-full", alt="National Grid bosses have now said the closure will be in place between Kirby Street and the junction with Woodbridge Road East. Picture: LUCY TAYLOR")

Drivers were initially told the stretch of road between Kirby Street and the Mulberry Tree pub near St Margaret’s Street would be shut between July 10 and September 7.

But chiefs told the Star this afternoon a major gas upgrade planned for the road will actually take place between Kirby Street and the Lattice Barn pub.

Engineers will put a westbound lane closure in place while the eastbound section will become a one-way system.

A spokesman for the company said: “The information originally issued contained an error. This has now been corrected.

%image(15216702, type="article-full", alt="Businesses like HiQ Ipswich say they are likely to be affected. Picture: CONTRIBUTED")

“We are sorry for any confusion this caused.”

Businesses based in the newly proposed location say they have not yet been told about the works – and fear it could put customers off or affect their trade.

Lynne Grimes, of Richard Grimes Bespoke Tailors, said: “It is a huge inconvenience. Our business is a niche one and when roadworks have happened before there has been an impact.

“Customers travel to us especially for what we do and we hope they will continue to do that, it just doesn’t help when you’ve got people digging up the road outside.”

%image(15216703, type="article-full", alt="Lynne Grimes, who works at Richard Grimes Bespoke Tailors, said the upgrade will be a "huge inconvenience"")

Bev Irvine is the landlady at the Lattice Barn pub.

She said: “This is the first I’ve heard of it. The problem is it’s likely to have a knock on effect because it’s outside our pub and some customers will think they can’t get in. It’s happened before but having ten weeks of disruption is a worrying time for all of us.”

While Sam Brown, who works at car care centre HiQ Ipswich, said he hadn’t been informed of the proposals either.

He said: “We personally haven’t been made aware that the location has changed. The problem is being in the auto business two weeks can make a difference let alone two months.”

The closure is likely to worsen the morning rush hour heading into town, but businesses will remain open to traffic as usual.

Schools in Suffolk break up for the summer holiday on July 21 and return on September 4 – which means the first and last two weeks of the road closure will coincide with school traffic.