HUGE changes are afoot for one of the major corridors bringing traffic from the east into Ipswich.Felixstowe Road, Nacton Road and Wherstead Road and their surrounding streets have come under close scrutiny by Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council.

HUGE changes are afoot for one of the major corridors bringing traffic from the east into Ipswich.

Felixstowe Road, Nacton Road and Wherstead Road and their surrounding streets have come under close scrutiny by Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council.

In a ten-year plan drawn up to manage the traffic in Ipswich – Norwich Road and Woodbridge Road have already been looked at and improved.

But this time the councils are relying on the opinions of the people who use the roads every day and live in the area, to see what really needs to be done.

Consultations have been done in the area showing people what plans are being considered for them to give their say on what they think are the best and worst ideas.

Included in the consultation were several measures to get people using public transport, cycles and even their feet.

One of the bigger proposals is aimed at the Bishops Hill area where it is hoped that right turn lanes will be removed, the road will be widened and bus lanes installed from Nacton Road junction to Cavendish Street.

Myrtle Road may become one way and traffic lights are being considered at the Nacton Road/Bishops Hill junction.

Other possible improvements include:

n restricting the speed limit to 20mph near to Murrayfield Primary School in Nacton Road;

n closing Nacton Road to through traffic altogether;

n restricting street parking in Landseer Road and extend the bus lane;

n improve pedestrian facilities along and across Stoke Bridge particularly for access from Cardinal Park to the Waterfront;

n create a cycle link from A137 to Bourne Hill, south of the A14 interchange at Wherstead; and

n changing the character of Wherstead Road between the Port access and the railway bridge.

Consultations and exhibitions took place just over a week ago and people were invited to go along and look at the plans and fill in questionnaires about what they thought.

David Chenery, traffic and safety manager for Suffolk County Council said: "This has been really good in the way it has been approached.

"I walked around at the exhibition and was really pleased with people's comments."

The £2.5 million pound project has been split into three stages that are to be implemented over ten years.

Mr Chenery believes that things have already started improving and that eventually people will begin using public transport rather than cars.

He said: "Super route 66 buses are now running 24 hours in response to public demand.

"If you provide good quality service people will like it. But it must be a quality solution and not a cheap one – we are seeing improvements already."

Joan Girling, an executive member of Suffolk County Council has also been involved in the project.

She said that people's opinions from the consultation were an extremely important and focal part of the project.

She said: "Local people have knowledge of the roads that they use and cross everyday.

"It is a good way to help us in recognising that we don't know it all.

"It plays a huge role in how we decide what we are going to do."

n Detailed plans of the project and the proposals can be found by clicking on to the website: www.suffolkcc.gov.uk