NEW moves to prevent the kind of gridlock faced by Suffolk motorists this week were unveiled by the government today.Ministers were announcing a package of radical jam-busting measures which will give councils and highways chiefs far-reaching powers.

By Richard Cornwell

NEW moves to prevent the kind of gridlock faced by Suffolk motorists this week were unveiled by the government today.

Ministers were announcing a package of radical jam-busting measures which will give councils and highways chiefs far-reaching powers.

Ipswich was clogged with fume-pumping vehicles on Tuesday after a crash between a lorry and a car caused miles of tailbacks with the A14 at a standstill and the Orwell Bridge blocked for seven hours.

Felixstowe, Britain's biggest container port, was left virtually idle as the thousands of lorries it was waiting to deal with were delayed in traffic queues.

Other parts of the A14 have seen also seen similar problems – an accident at the dock spur at Felixstowe can close the road for hours while the crash is cleared.

But today transport secretary Alistair Darling pledged that his new law will prevent such problems in future.

FULL STORY IN TONIGHT'S EVENING STAR