A MAIN route out of a busy town will be closed for two months from today, as fears grow over it creating “massive gridlocks”.
Candlet Road in Felixstowe, Suffolk, will be shut from September 9 to November 10 due to workers building a new roundabout and improving the surrounding highways.
It will be shut from the junction with the A14 to Cowpasture Drive.
The roadworks are part of wider plans to build hundreds of homes.
The roundabout is part of a housing development spearheaded by Bloor Homes, and currently a work in progress, between the High Street and Candlet Road in the north of the town.
There will be a four-mile diversion in place while the work takes place.
Some residents are outraged though, saying the restrictions will mean the town comes to a standstill.
Tom Strudwick, 30, said: “Candlet Road is the main route in and out of Felixstowe.
“We already see massive gridlocks in Felixstowe when Candlet Road is busy, especially if there is an accident or there is just more traffic.
“All of the traffic that leaves the busiest roads in Felixstowe funnels down Candlet Road, so the road is already under severe pressure.
“Yet they are now building more houses at the end of the road. It just doesn’t seem like it was a very clever idea to begin with.”
Julia, Bowen, 59, who has lived in Felixstowe for 55 years, says the closure will almost certainly see heavy congestion which will add as much as 15 minutes to her journeys.
She said: “I don’t think there is ever a good time to do this but there are schools on those other routes so this is going to cause problems with congestion, especially at school times.
“We’ve already had major disruption on Candlet Road when they put the original properties in but when they did that they managed to keep part of the road open.
“I don’t know why they are not able to do that this time. If you look at the plans the road infrastructure just isn’t there.”
Motorists are advised to stay on the A14 before taking the roundabout onto Walton Avenue.
Then they should travel down Langer Road and onto Garrison Lane before rejoining Candlet Road at the Grove Road junction.
The reverse applies for those travelling in the opposite direction.
Suffolk County Council bosses have now said they requested a reduced timeframe and agreed the dates for the work to avoid the summer holidays.
A spokesman added: “We will continue to work with Bloor Homes whilst the road closure is in place and co-ordinate other essential road works around the area to keep disruption limited as much as possible.”
A spokesperson from Bloor Homes said: “While the planned road closure and diversion will go ahead during this time-frame, there will be an emergency access route which will be available at all times, should the Dock Spur Road be closed, upon the request of the Highway Authority.
“We are seeking to complete the roadworks with as little disruption as possible in order to reopen the road as soon as we are able to.”
