Felixstowe port still closed to trucks
TRUCKERS spent a frustrating night stuck in their cabs as snow and ice continued to play havoc with operations at Britain's biggest port.The container terminal at Felixstowe was still closed today following an early inspection by officials.
Richard Cornwell
TRUCKERS spent a frustrating night stuck in their cabs as snow and ice continued to play havoc with operations at Britain's biggest port.
The container terminal at Felixstowe was still closed today following an early inspection by officials.
Some trucks were dealt with overnight after it became possible to use a back-up area on the 700-acre complex to deal with some boxes arriving for export.
This in turn freed more parking space on the port and lorries were able to move down from the Operation Stack area on the old A45 at Levington to the waiting areas on the port.
Other drivers though were facing long waits with clearing the snow from the quay areas to allow safe access for import boxes to be processed described by officials as “a sizeable challenge and one, which is currently being addressed”.
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Port officials urged haulage companies to re-plan their drivers' journeys to avoid the port until normal operations could resume.
Those still arriving today would have to pull off the A14 at the Seven Hills interchange, where they would be directed by police and Highways Agency staff to park up on the old A45.
No container vehicles would be allowed onto the port until Operation Stack is lifted unless they have a ticket and tickets can only be obtained from the stack holding area.
The port has apologised for the inconvenience the disruption was causing but said the measures were to ensure the safety of all port users.
