Orwell Bridge closed westbound for two nights

Traffic crossing over the Orwell Bridge in Suffolk, cones in place, and people working on the bridgeImage source, John Fairhall/BBC
Image caption,

National Highways apologised for any inconvenience caused while it repairs the Orwell Bridge

  • Published

The Orwell Bridge will be partially closed for the next two days as repairs continue.

The entire westbound section of the A14 bridge, near Ipswich, will shut between 21:00 BST and 05:00 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The road is scheduled to fully reopen on Thursday 19 September by 05:00.

Diversions, external have been put in place.

The work has been deemed urgent after a routine inspection on 6 September identified one of the bridge joints was in a "potentially unsafe condition".

National Highways previously said: "Expansion joints on structures like the 42-year-old Orwell Bridge are specifically designed and an integral part of the road.

"As a result, it is not a simple task to replace/repair them and it requires specific equipment and planning to do."

Image source, Luke Deal/BBC
Image caption,

The entire westbound carriageway of the Orwell Bridge will be closed to allow repairs to be carried out

Media caption,

Things you didn't know about the Orwell Bridge

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