VILLAGERS believe there is now no chance of persuading highways chiefs to abandon planned extra safety work this autumn at Felixstowe's notorious dock spur roundabout.

By Richard Cornwell

VILLAGERS believe there is now no chance of persuading highways chiefs to abandon planned extra safety work this autumn at Felixstowe's notorious dock spur roundabout.

Residents of the twin Trimleys didn't want to see more "tinkering" with the deathtrap junction – and instead called for work to begin on major changes.

But they have now conceded that it is unlikely to happen in the short term, and it will take long-term pressure to get engineering works agreed which will separate traffic heading for the port and resort and stop lorries overturning.

Parish clerk George Harlow wrote to Suffolk Coastal MP John Gummer on behalf of both Trimley St Martin and Trimley St Mary councils.

"Mr Gummer replied to say that he, too, was very concerned and he had written to various bodies supporting the parish councils' views that major improvements should be carried out," said Mr Harlow.

"However, at this stage, it seems unlikely that the agency will change its plans.

"They have identified certain improvements and I fully expect those will take place this autumn and then we will have to wait for those to be monitored before anything else is considered."

Felixstowe Town Council has also written to the Highways Agency saying the time for small-scale low-key work is over, and in the light of recent accidents it is time to go for the long-term solution now.

It also wants the give way lines on the port exit to Ipswich, where the last two accidents have happened, restored to force traffic to slow.

The agency is planning to spend £35,000 on changing some road markings, painting 20mph advisory lorry speed limits on the carriageway and adding some new signs.

But campaigners do not believe this will be enough to stop lorries flipping over.

There have been 18 accidents in six years of lorries rolling over or shedding their loads at the A14 junction – four of them in the past six months.

In the worst motorist Martin O'Sullivan was killed when a lorry toppled and crushed his BMW in the inside lane. A stark wooden cross marks the point.

Highways chiefs insist there is no problem with the roundabout and the crashes are down to driver error, faulty vehicles and poor loading.