Motorists have been advised to plan their journeys in advance of the Great East Run this weekend.

The vast majority of road closures for the inaugural showpiece between Ipswich and Shotley will be put in place on Sunday from 6.30am until 2pm. Most roads, such as Star Lane, Civic Drive and Cliff Lane, will reopen between 11.15am and 12.35pm.

Russell Road and Constantine Road will be closed from 2pm onwards on Saturday.

Yellow road closure warning signs were put up to warn drivers of the affected routes at the start of the week, prompting concerns from some residents and businesses that the town may come to a standstill.

But race organisers, Suffolk Constabulary, the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, and the East of England Ambulance Service Trust moved to reassure people living in the area that an action plan was already in place.

Yesterday Colin Grogan, sport, health and inclusion development manager at Suffolk County Council, said: “Obviously there will be some disruption to roads affected and we ask people to plan journeys in advance of the disruption that will be in place in the morning.

“We will be lifting the closures as quickly as we can when it is safe to do so. We try to minimise the impact on the local road network as much as possible, but there is no question that there has to be some measures in place to manage such a spectacle and road closures will be kept to a minimum.

“Our advice is to plan in advance and get out before the road closures come into place.”

Speaking earlier in the week, a Great East Run spokesman said: “We’re working with all local emergency services and they are aware of the road closures and alternative routes.

“In the case of an emergency, as with all closed road events, runners will be asked to move aside to let vehicles through the road closures, so they will still have access should they need to attend an incident either along the route or in the vicinity.”

Suffolk Constabulary also said earlier this week: “We are aware of plans for the Great East Run this Sunday. All Safer Neighbourhood Teams in the town have been notified to ensure we respond appropriately to any incidents that take place during the run and the event has been assessed through the Safety Advisory Group.”