AS WORK starts on improving one of the most notorious stretches of the A14, road bosses today pledged to keep traffic moving during the 15 months of roadworks.
AS WORK starts on improving one of the most notorious stretches of the A14, road bosses today pledged to keep traffic moving during the 15 months of roadworks.
The Highways Agency has started work on improving the Rookery crossroads at Rougham, near Bury St Edmunds, where 18 people have died or been seriously injured over the last six years.
For the last month tree surgeons have been clearing a large area for the new junction. Full-scale roadworks are due to start on the site within the next few days on the £10million project.
A Highways Agency spokesman has assured worried motorists that both lanes of the east and west-bound carriageways would be kept open during the week.
He stressed: "The aim is to keep two lanes of traffic open in each direction at busy periods - that will generally be during the day and particularly for both rush hours. There will be occasional reductions in lanes at night and at certain times during weekends.
"But two lanes will run in each direction during the day including at peak hours."
He insisted that the situation would be carefully watched: "We will be monitoring what happens so if anything causes a problem things can be adjusted accordingly. Nothing is set in stone."
He said a 40mph speed limit would be introduced in the area for the duration of the project and safety cameras installed.
The scheme, which should be complete by Christmas next year, involves building a flyover to carry the A14 over local roads, the closure of the central reservation gap at Two Mile Spinney, the closure of the Two Mile Spinney junction with the U8003 side road from Blackthorpe and the realignment of about a mile of the existing A14.
The public exhibition is being held at the Rougham Sports Hall on Saturday, October 30, between 9am and 5pm. Highways Agency staff will be available to answer questions.
What do you think should be done to make Suffolk's fastest roads safer? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
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