MP urges Suffolk council to deliver Ipswich Northern Bypass

Jack Abbott said that the council must "immediately" reopen the plans, after works to the Orwell Bridge were completed this week. 

Maintenance work to the Orwell Bridge since the start of June led to chaos across the whole region, with delays on the A14 and A12 and gridlocked traffic throughout Ipswich. 

Repairs to the Orwell Bridge led to chaos in and around in Ipswich (Image: Newsquest) Calls for a Northern Bypass, long seen as a solution to the traffic issues the town regularly faces, intensified as a result. 

Suffolk County Council voted in favour of an amended motion that supported a Northern Bypass, among other traffic-calming measures, on July 10.

That motion did not green light the project, but rather said that solutions, including a Northern Bypass, should be found. 

Ipswich MP Jack Abbott has campaigned in favour of the Northern Bypass since the start of the year (Image: Office of Jack Abbott) Mr Abbott, who has been a campaigner in favour of the Northern Bypass, writing to the Prime Minister and raising the debate in Parliament, has said that the council had been "dragged kicking and screaming to the table" after it previously ruled the project out. 

He said: “I know residents and businesses across our town will be breathing a sigh of relief that the latest deluge of traffic chaos is coming to an end, and I want to thank the people working for National Highways for their hard work in completing these difficult repairs ahead of schedule.

“However, the end of these works will only be a temporary respite as long as we don’t have a Northern Bypass.

Traffic on the A14 throughout works to the Orwell Bridge (Image: Lucy Taylor)

“I am delighted our Labour government have given the green light to the A12 upgrades after years of false dawns, but this alone can’t solve the problems associated with the Northern Bypass and wider A14.

“I have been holding Suffolk County Council’s feet to the fire. Thousands of local residents have made their voices heard loud and clear too, and major businesses demanded that the Suffolk Conservatives 'Back the Bypass'.

“They have been dragged kicking and screaming to the table, and forced to accept their ‘do nothing’ approach is hurting our town and our county. Now they must deliver on their promise to reopen their plans for a Northern Bypass, immediately."

Thousands in Ipswich have signed a petition from Mr Abbott backing the bypass as Suffolk County Council announced a review of the transport network would be taking place.