Road closures can often feel like they last for months, but more often than not they are in place for only a matter of days. 

However, some towns and villages have faced the full effects of roads being shut for months on end. 

A Freedom of Information request has revealed which streets in the county have experienced the longest closures. 

Ipswich Star: Road closures remain in place in BelsteadRoad closures remain in place in Belstead (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Grove Hill in Belstead has been shut since July 17, 2023, as part of a £3 million Anglian Water scheme to install new sewer pipes. 

Dates on the water company's website show it was due to be completed by March 26, but eight months on the road is still blocked. 

"The road is still blocked and it does not seem to be any information on why it is still blocked," said resident and Ipswich Town fan Steve Butcher. 

Ipswich Star: Elmsett Village Store closed on SaturdayElmsett Village Store closed on Saturday (Image: Charlotte Bond)

"We use that road to get to the football so every game this season we have had to use a different road.

"They have had all that time and it is still closed. It is crazy."

Ipswich Star: The Street in Aldham has been shut since it collapsedThe Street in Aldham has been shut since it collapsed (Image: Suffolk Highways)

A spokesman for Anglian Water has confirmed the works have been delayed. 

It is hoped that it will reopen before the end of April.

Details from the request show The Street in Aldham is set to remain shut until June, after collapsing in November. 

However, Suffolk Highways has revealed the work is expected to last beyond then, with a completion date earmarked for the end of July. 

It would mean the street would have been shut for eight months if repairs are completed on time. 

Councillor Robert Lindsay, who represents Cosford at Suffolk County Council, said he regularly receives emails from people in the village asking for updates. 

He said: "The closure has been a real headache and it has been very frustrating. I understand and accept that it is a really complicated job they have got to do.

Ipswich Star: Badgers have shut Lavenham Road in Thorpe MorieuxBadgers have shut Lavenham Road in Thorpe Morieux (Image: Newsquest)

"People can't understand why it is taking so long to investigate.

"I have people saying why is it taking so long to get anything done and I have to say I don't know. That is the sort of detail people want to know so they can understand." 

The closure of the road has been a major talking point among those living in the village since it first started. 

Sasha Lawrence, who ran the village store in neighbouring Elmsett, told this newspaper how the roadworks had caused significant disruption before closing on Saturday, March 30. 

"They've literally killed our business," she said previously. "It has totally destroyed us. 

"We are now down by 37pc. We are now £10,000 in debt because our cash flow is gone." 

Lavenham Road in Thorpe Morieux is another road which has endured a long road closure. 

Having been shut since February, it was revealed that it could be shut until November due to a badger sett.

However, Suffolk Highways is hoping they can reopen the road by July.

A spokesman for Suffolk Highways said: "The ongoing road closures in Aldham and Thorpe Morieux are both complex and require extensive investigations and design work. We recognise these closures are an inconvenience, however they are essential for the safety of road users."