The planned route for the A140 closures for several abnormal loads at the end of October has been changed and a second route suggested, Suffolk County Council has announced.

The A140 is due to be closed across three weekends at the end of October and the start of November as the largest, combined effort for a huge abnormal load by Suffolk Highways to date takes place. 

The major road will be closed for a 15-mile stretch from the A14 junction to the Castleton Way junction in Eye on Sunday, October 22, October 29 and November 5, and then could be closed additionally on Sunday, November 19 and 26.

Brockford Bridge will be closed on these dates for approximately five to six hours on the suggested date while the abnormal loads pass through. 

The A14 has been proposed as an alternative second route for the loads, which will cause significant disruption.

If Suffolk Police deems the route to be safe and daylight hours allow for the move, the abnormal loads will continue along the A14 on the day they leave Ipswich.

Traffic will be managed by Suffolk Police to allow for the loads to travel safely along A14 from Whitehouse (J53) to A140 (J51), leaving and rejoining at Claydon (J52) to limit the build-up of traffic.

The load will then travel in the wrong direction and a rolling roadblock will be in place with traffic being held temporarily while the loads pass through.

The loads consist of a 327.5-tonne generator and two turbines weighing 332 tonnes and 221.8 tonnes, and will leave Ipswich Waterfront at about 6.30am each day and head towards Eye Airfield.

Pubs along the A140 have spoken out about the disruption that this could cause to their businesses. 

The A140 will only be closed on three Sundays, but this depends on the pace at which they can move along the two major routes.