Transport chiefs hope new sensors placed under the road in Civic Drive will ease the flow of traffic at the controversial new junction with Princes Street.

The hardware will be operational as of today and is designed so that the traffic lights detect waiting traffic and also allow more time for vehicles that are turning right at the junction.

Graham Newman, the county council’s cabinet member for road and transport, believes the new junction is operating well, but stressed the authority wants to make improvements.

He added: “The new sensors help the lights detect where the traffic is and, if needed, allow more time for vehicles turning right to clear the junction.

“These lights aren’t yet connected to our town-wide traffic management system. This will happen next year. But when they are, we’ll be able to monitor traffic movements closely at all times and take action to ease congestion.

“This is a significant improvement on the arrangements that we currently have in place.” The new junction is part of the £21m Travel Ipswich programme, which has included work on the Old Cattle Market and Tower Ramparts bus stations.

Other work which has now been completed is the upgrade of traffic signals in London Road, Yarmouth Road and West End Road.

As part of the project, there will also be some lane closures until the end of this month as signals are upgraded at the junctions of London Road and Handford Road, and Grimwade Street, St Helen’s Street and Argyle Street.