Widened roads and new markings are set to be introduced in an attempt to ease congestion problems between the Nacton junction of the A14 and Felixstowe Road.

And later this decade the junction is set for a multi-million pound rebuild in an attempt to ease delays faced by drivers.

A meeting between highways officials and businesses at Ransomes Europark was told that the county planned changes to Nacton Road between the A14 junction and the Thrasher roundabout and to Ransomes Way between the Thrasher and Felixstowe Road.

The money for the improvement is being provided as part of the planning deal that allowed Futura Park – the home of the Waitrose and John Lewis store – to be developed.

Entrances to the Thrasher roundabout are to be widened and extra lanes are to be marked on Ransomes Way.

The county council is not able to make any changes to the A14 because it is owned and managed by the Highways Agency.

The meeting was called by businesses based at Ransomes Europark who have been getting increasingly concerned about the delays at the Nacton junction with the A14.

John Dugmore, chief executive of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, said: “Businesses across Suffolk do welcome the intention to correct what is becoming more and more of a problem in our county.

“Firms have been leading the campaign and the call for new investment that is needed if the issues around Junction 57 of the A14 are to be seriously addressed.

“If they are not, the day to day operation of Suffolk plc will continue to be effected and businesses will suffer.

“It is important as these proposals move forward in 2014 that all groups come together and work together to ensure final designs are approved and then implemented without further delay.”

Suffolk county council with responsibility for transport Graham Newman said the amount of money available for the work had still not been fixed.

Work would start on the section of Nacton Road between the A14 and the Thrasher roundabout – and if more money was available it would be extended to Ransomes Way.

He said: “We hope that this work will help to ease the situation but ultimately the whole junction with the A14 will need to be rebuilt and that is a very big job indeed.”

There also needed to be talks with the owners of Ransomes Europark to improve its access, he added.