Queen Street pedestrianisation in Ipswich set to start next week

The third phase of improvement work around Giles Circus and Princes Street in Ipswich will get under way next week as Suffolk County Council has unveiled plans for the next stage.

Work during the first two phases has been completed along Princes Street including block paving, loading bays, parking bays and a cycle lane, while the second phase has featured modified kerbs.

Suffolk County Council has now unveiled the third stage which is due to begin on Wednesday, January 4 and last around 16 weeks.

Contractors will be pedestrianising Queen Street, with a loading bay and limited pay and display parking.

A county council spokesman said: “Towards the beginning of phase three, the traffic signals at the crossroads of Queen Street, Friars Street, St Nicholas Street and Falcon Street will be removed. This will be replaced with a zebra crossing on the Friars Street side of the junction, which will also have a raised table to reduce traffic speed.

“For the duration of phase three, Queen Street will be closed from Buttermarket to Friars Street and parking in Queen Street will be suspended. Temporary traffic signals will also be in place at the junction of Queen Street/ Friars Street to remove the permanent signals and install the zebra crossing and raised table.”

The eight-week final phase is planned to start in April or May in St Nicholas Street where a portion of the road will be widened, as well as installing a cycle lane and moving loading bays.

The county council spokesman added: “The remaining paving works in Coytes Gardens is to be confirmed. This work was originally planned to be completed in an earlier phase, but working around shallow utility cables has meant that our team has had to carefully hand dig the road surface to avoid damaging the cables, which has meant this has taken longer than expected.

“Full details of phase four are being finalised and will be available in a future update.”