The bridge closure has reignited calls for urgent investment in the region’s roads.
The A14 Orwell Bridge shut in both directions between junction 56 at Wherstead and junction 57 at Nacton on Friday, October 16, after an early-morning incident.
A man died at the scene following the crash.
The closure caused severe congestion on the A14, A12 and surrounding roads.
Eastbound A14 delays reached 69 minutes, while some drivers faced more than two hours of disruption.
Paul Simon, head of public affairs and strategic communications at Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, said: "Firstly, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce would like to extent its sympathies to the family of the man who died on the Orwell Bridge.
"But more generally, the delays and disruption not only to local people’s lives, but to the county and country’s economy from the closure of the Orwell Bridge, is a stark reminder that it is well beyond time that a programme of funded improvements to the roads capacity in and around Ipswich is rolled out."
Suffolk Chamber’s 2025 Broken Down 1 research found that 81% of surveyed businesses feared problems on the Orwell Bridge and wider A14 corridor would hit their operations.
Of those businesses, 85% said a lack of major improvements over the next 10 years would moderately or considerably affect their investment plans in Suffolk.
Another 83% said it would cut job numbers in the county.
Mr Simon said longer closures would "do little to reassure" companies based in Suffolk or considering investing there.
The chamber wants immediate measures including lower speed limits and National Highways staff to help police clear incidents faster.
It also wants investment in the Ely and Haughley rail junctions to help divert freight from the A14 and A12.
Regional business organisations estimate that proposed upgrades to the Ely and Haughley junctions could remove 150,000 freight lorry journeys from the A14 every year.
Long term, the chamber backs Suffolk County Council’s plan to develop an outline business case for possible routes north and south of Ipswich by next spring.
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