Town invited to run, walk or cycle its new bypass

The A140 passes through Long Stratton and is the main road linking Norwich and Ipswich

A town that had campaigned for decades for traffic to be diverted from its main street is being given a one-off opportunity to run, walk or cycle its new bypass.

The A140 at Long Stratton, Norfolk, on the main road between Ipswich and Norwich, had become known as a traffic "pinch point".

The £47m, 2.4 mile (3.9km) project is due for completion by the end of the year, with part of the existing road closed to through-traffic during the special first look on Saturday.

"The event provides an excellent opportunity to bring local people together in a truly unique and fun way and it's something I'm sure the whole town will get behind," Long Stratton county councillor Alison Thomas said.

"Hosting the event whilst the existing A140 is closed to through traffic will also provide a real taste of what life might be like once the bypass is fully complete," she continued.

The council said food vendors would be on site, and it would be gathering views on how the community would like to see the town centre develop once the bypass is complete.

Residents on foot or cycle are welcome to arrive on site via Edges Lane or Parkers Lane only between 11:00 BST and 15:00. Parking and a shuttle bus are available from the former South Norfolk Council office at Swan Lane.

Meanwhile, the existing A140 will be closed between St Michael's Road and Brands Lane from 20:00 on Friday until 06:00 on Monday, for essential works.

Next week, the section between Wood Lane and the southern end of the new bypass will be closed overnight on Thursday into Friday, and all weekend from Friday night through to 06:00 on Monday, 11 August.

The official diversion is via Loddon and Bungay and vice versa.

"We appreciate the forthcoming closures will cause some inconvenience but hopefully the public recognise their importance to the delivery of the project," said Paul Browne, of construction company Octavius Infrastructure.

"Once these essential works are complete we will be able to use the new road to significantly limit further disruption for the remainder of the project, which we remain on course to complete before the end of the year."