A14 concrete surface repairs and maintenance

We'll be carrying out reconstruction works on the A14 carriageway between Junction 47 Haughley to Junction 49 Tothill. The work includes a total reconstruction of the road, clearing drains, repainting road markings, and inserting new reflective road studs (cat’s eyes).

Start date January 2023

End date August 2023

Cost £23 million

The East region has the highest concentration of concrete roads on our road network, including the A14, A12, A120 and M11.

Around half of the old-style concrete roads will either have repairs or will be replaced during the next five years.

We’ll be using new ways and new technology to provide a modern road that will last for decades to come. This will also make it easier and quicker for us to repair in future.

To find out more about our nationwide Concrete Roads work please visit our programme page.

Why we need this scheme

The surface of concrete roads that were designed between the 1950s and 1970s have an average life span of 50 years. Their surfaces are now reaching the stage where they will need to be repaired or replaced for safety reasons, and to help them be less noisy and better to drive on.

Project information

We will be carrying out work to rebuild the A14 carriageway between Junction 47a Haughley to Junction 49 Tothill. This work will be carried out under a contraflow and is due to start in January 2023.

Before we are able to start work we will need to examine the road to understand what needs to be done when we reconstruct it. The survey works are due to take place from Saturday 19 March to Monday 16 May 2022. To carry this out safely we will need to close one side of the road. The road will only be closed in one direction at a time.

Benefits

A14 Junction 47 Haughley to Junction 49 Tothill

Our repairs will help improve the safety of the road surface, but it will also provide a smoother and quieter journey for road users. Rather than repairing the potholes and cracking, the whole carriageway will be reconstructed and re-laid to ensure a smoother and safer ride. Once complete, we expect the life of the road surface to be extended by up to 50 more years, with fewer future closures for maintenance repairs, meaning more reliable journeys for road users.

Road closures between Junction 47 Haughley to Junction 49 Tothill

To do this work we need to close the A14 between Junction 47 Haughley to Junction 49 Tothill and run a contraflow. The A14 will only be closed in one direction at a time. We appreciate that some of the excavation work may be noisy and we’ll do our best to minimise any disturbances.

Our survey work will help us to understand what needs to be done when we reconstruct the road. For this we need to close the carriageway. Starting in March 2022 we will close the A14 overnight between 8pm and 6am Monday – Saturday. We will ensure you are notified of the closure dates in advance of the work. Only one side of the carriageway will be closed at any one time.

Diversion route

When the road is closed, a signed diversion route will be in place. This includes local traffic being diverted through Haughley and longer distance drivers, including HGV’s, along the A143 at junction 43 and then the A140 to re-join the A14 at junction 51.

Local traffic would exit at Junction 47 then via the A1088, Church Road, Cross Street, Wetherden Road, Elmswell Road, Stowmarket Road and Tothill to re-join the A14 at Junction 49; this will be the other way round for westbound traffic.

Upcoming road closures

19 March to 16 May 2022	Survey works – 8pm to 6am six days a week Monday - Saturday
January – August 2023	Main works – January 2023 to August 2023

Diversion maps

Dispersal route – For eastbound traffic exit the A14 at junction 43 and take the A143 and then the A140 to re-join the A14 at J51. For westbound traffic it is the reverse. The diversion should add about 55 minutes to your journey. Please allow extra time

Local diversion – unsuitable for HGV’s. For eastbound traffic exit A14 at Junction 47, turn right on the roundabout on to Church road, which will go into Cross Street, Stowmarket road and Tothill, and will re-join the A14 at Junction 49. For westbound traffic it is the reverse. The diversion should add about 8 minutes to your journey. Please allow extra time.

We resurfaced and repaired potholes and cracks in the concrete road surface on the A14 main carriageway between junction 52 and junction 55 in both directions. This project is part of the Highways England concrete roads programme in the East region.

To keep traffic flowing on the A14 whilst we carry out work, a temporary contraflow system was used. This is where traffic is transferred from its usual side to share the other half of the carriageway, with traffic moving in both directions.

We coordinated these roadworks around our project to make changes to the Orwell Bridge: the improvements will help avoid bridge closures during high winds (up to 70mph).