Work being done on Ipswich Civic Drive subway after one year

Suffolk Highways had to partially close the pedestrian subway at the junction where Civic Drive meets Norwich Road and the barriers surrounding were removed and put inside the entrances, in October 2023.

The request to do so was made by a private company to allow wide loads to be taken into the town centre. 

A year after the request, work is finally being done to reinstall the barriers and open the subway to make it fully accessible.

The subway is present at the roundabout of Civic Drive and Norwich Road.  (Image: Shikhar Talwar) Suffolk Highways had said that they would start the works after the abnormal load left Ipswich on October 6 - and last week workers were spotted working on the entrance. 

Previously, in April, Suffolk County Council's highways committee had said that the railings were sent out to be galvanised after they were re-fabricated and designed to be moveable in case other abnormal loads were to go through the town. 

However, in July the highways team confirmed they were awaiting approvals and hoping for the work to be completed by mid-July.

Cllr Kreidewolf has been pushing for these works to be done.  (Image: Newsquest) Ipswich Borough Councillor Colin Kreidewolf had been pushing for these works to be completed since the subway was initially closed. 

He said: "Well it's very pleasing to see the fencing finally completed except for the recent small section damaged in an accident.

"It matters how the town looks and the fact that it has taken a year to correct is not good enough by the Highways authority.

"There is just some final work to reopen the subway exit in front of Tesco's needed."