Gridlocked Ipswich
When most people who live in or around Ipswich hear the Orwell Bridge has been closed, their heart sinks.
Repair works, accidents or high winds can lead to closures at any time of the year, with traffic being forced to divert through Suffolk’s county town.
It causes huge tailbacks, with the roads of Ipswich almost grinding to a halt.
We need an alternative – or we’ll be set for more gridlock in the future.
Bridge in need of repair
In early September, a routine inspection of the Orwell Bridge revealed one of its joints was in a ‘potentially unsafe condition’.
This triggered a round of repair works, limiting the bridge to one lane on the westbound side, causing huge tailbacks, particularly during rush hour.
As the artery of Felixstowe and a crucial route in keeping Ipswich moving, this disruption was necessary but unwelcome.
More repair works are planned in the future, beginning in April next year.
Although this important work needs to be done, it will, yet again, cause huge disruption for the town and the surrounding area.
Support for the bypass
The idea of a Northern Bypass, although abandoned in 2020, has not been put to bed, with renewed calls to look at the idea once again.
It is great to hear Ipswich MP Jack Abbott voicing his view that a bypass should again be on the table as well as urging that the Ipswich Transportation Task Force is re-established.
South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge is also pushing for solutions, including better notice on repair works and bringing forward repair works to minimise disruption in the long term.
Many businesses in Suffolk are keen on building a Northern Bypass, with those of us who operate out of Felixstowe particularly eager.
With the recent closures, and more on the horizon, the appetite for a bypass may be greater than it has ever been.
Pushback
Proposals for a Northern Bypass faced a great deal of pushback, with many people protesting the plans at Suffolk County Council’s headquarters in Ipswich.
It is understandable if your neighbourhood is expected to bear the brunt of a new road that you won’t be backing the idea.
Many felt the bypass would destroy the countryside and increase pollution. Others believed it would cost the taxpayer millions without solving the problem.
I understand their concerns and sympathise with their viewpoint, but a bypass would invigorate the town and surrounding areas, boosting the economy, creating new jobs and new opportunities for young people.
I think the impact of a bypass should at least be considered as a price to pay for the town’s continued success.
Compromise
Proposals for a new bypass would need to be measured, balancing the views of those impacted with the opportunities it would bring.
A bypass would not be the main route over the river – the Orwell Bridge would still be the primary route for lorries and cars making their way across Ipswich.
The road wouldn’t need to be duelled or have major capacity, just enough to ease traffic in the town centre.
Having another route in place that doesn’t force traffic into gridlock through the town would be a backup if the bridge is closed, an alternative to chaos in Ipswich.
A bypass will always be controversial and divide opinion, but I think it needs to at least be on the table as a possible way forward for the town and surrounding area.
photo credit: Rowland Shaw
