Work to improve the Four Gateways on Ipswich Cornhill has started as contractors install barriers to allow pressure-blasting to get underway.

Ipswich Star: Workers cleaning the Gateways on Ipswich Cornhill. Picture: SARAH CHAMBERSWorkers cleaning the Gateways on Ipswich Cornhill. Picture: SARAH CHAMBERS (Image: Archant)

The grey concrete pillars are being blasted to clean them and achieve a smoother finish. The work is expected to be completed by the end of Wednesday and officials will then decide what else should be done to improve their appearance.

The council has plans to polish the pillars to create a gloss finish, but it will look at the work once they have been blasted to decide whether that is necessary – or whether to leave them in that condition.

The pillars, part of the £3.6m refurbishment of the Cornhill, were unveiled at the end of last year and contain information panels about some of the great people and occasions in the history of the town.

A decision on whether further work is needed is expected to be taken when a report on the safety of the new-look Cornhill is published.