Two abnormal loads set to travel through Suffolk

The moves will take place on Sunday 11 August and Sunday 18 August, departing from Ipswich Docks during the early hours of each morning at approximately 6am, starting its journey to the Synchronous Condenser Plant in Yaxley.

• Sunday 11 August – 356 tonne generator, 81m in length total
• Sunday 18 August – 164 tonne electrical transformer, 71m in length total

To support future abnormal loads, since 2021, Suffolk Highways has been replacing permanent street furniture with easily removable assets. This has since proven to limit the amount of work and disruption required during the lead up to abnormal load movements.

On the day of each abnormal load movement, teams will be leading and following the vehicle to prepare the route, temporarily removing and reinstating street furniture. This will enable the loads to be transported whilst keeping disruption to a minimum for members of the public.

A temporary road closure of A140 will be necessary whilst the load moves to its destination. A temporary overbridge at Brockford will be installed to protect the county’s roads and structure.

Once the load has safely passed the overbridge and the road is deemed safe for public use, the overbridge will be dismantled in readiness for when the A140 can be reopened. The closure could be in place for several hours from late morning. Whilst the A140 is closed, between A14 and A1120, access to smaller vehicles will be allowed to cross from East to West and vice versa. However, this will be subject to the position of the abnormal load at the time.

Other restrictions will also be in place, such as parking and weight limit restrictions, the suspension of any double yellow lines along the route and the closure of Derby Road, Tomline Road, and the St Matthews Street subway, in Ipswich.

To allow the load to navigate safely around permanent street furniture on the day of the move, the load will be travelling on the opposite side of the carriageway at times. Traffic Management teams will be leading the load, whilst Suffolk Police will manage traffic. Mid-morning, traffic on the A14 eastbound will be temporary held whilst the load travels the wrong way from the Whitehouse Interchange (jct. no. 53) to the A140 Interchange (jct. no. 52).

The Suffolk Police enforced rolling roadblock on the A14 eastbound is anticipated to be in place between approximately 10am and 10.30am. The A140 is expected to be closed from approximately 11am until 6pm; however, these timings will be subject to change.

To limit the impact on the travelling public, there may be temporary stop points along the route to support with minimising congestion.

Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for Ipswich, operational highways and flooding, said: Our teams continue to support the moving of abnormal loads through the county, ensuring these are done safely and with minimum impact on residents. Thank you to all those who have worked hard on this complex operation to ensure it runs smoothly.

Whilst the restrictions and road closures are in place, I encourage road users to avoid the area where possible to allow the load to travel through safely.