The Orwell Bridge
The Orwell Bridge carries the A14 over the River Orwell, south of Ipswich in Suffolk. Here you can find information about current and planned speed restrictions and closures on the bridge
Scheduled maintenance
Like any major structure, the bridge needs frequent maintenance to keep it in a safe and serviceable condition.
Sometimes we need to close the bridge to keep road users and our team safe while we work.
We understand closures cause disruption to road users and local communities. We strive to keep the bridge open as often as we can.
Our work isn’t always visible. We may be carrying out repairs underneath the road surface, or waiting for construction materials to dry or set before continuing our work.
Planned maintenance work
We have planned maintenance starting from Monday 16 June until August 2025.
We started work to replace two westbound bridge expansion joints on 16 June.
We’ll install the contraflow for the morning of Saturday 28 June.
Ahead of this, we'll need these overnight closures (8pm - 6am the following morning):
Wednesday 25 June and Thursday 26 June
A14 Orwell Bridge closed eastbound (towards Felixstowe)
Friday 27 June
A14 Orwell Bridge closed westbound (towards Cambridge).
From morning of Saturday 28 June to August - contraflow
24/7 contraflow through roadworks. One lane open in each direction on the eastbound carriageway while we replace bridge expansion joints on the westbound side.
Reduced speed limits
Once we've installed the contraflow, we'll change the speed limit on the Orwell Bridge from 6am Saturday 28 June.
- eastbound traffic 60mph
- westbound traffic 40mph
We need to do this to protect our workforce.
From 28 June - junction 57 westbound entry slip
We'll also close the westbound entry slip road at junction 57 (Nacton Interchange) for the duration of the work. Our aim is to reduce congestion caused by joining traffic merging onto the A14 as all traffic approaches the contraflow. If you want to join the A14 westbound, you'll be diverted east to join the A14 westbound at junction 58 (Seven Hills Interchange).
From 30 June - Orwell Bridge westbound towards Cambridge
Closed overnight (8pm -6am) on these dates:
- Monday 30 June
- Tuesday 1 July
We need these closures to lift new bridge expansion joints into place by crane and do maintenance work.
We'll work 24/7, including weekends, to complete our maintenance as quickly as possible and minimise disruption.
The A14 will still be the best route, but please allow more time for journeys.
There will be free roadside recovery through the roadworks while they're in place.
We still intend to complete the works as planned in August.
Diversions
The bridge will remain open for traffic during much of the repair work and we will encourage drivers to stay on the A14, rather than divert onto less suitable routes through Ipswich, but more time should be allowed for journeys.
While the A14 is closed overnight, drivers will be diverted using a clearly signed route between junction 58 (Seven Hills Interchange) and junction 55 (Copdock Interchange) via the A12 and A1214.
Please be aware that these dates may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, such as poor weather, but we will keep you updated.
A14 junction 57 diversion route
Why we restrict speed limits and close the bridge
The bridge is only closed when it’s essential for safety reasons, and for as little time as possible. It was previously closed to all traffic if there were gusts of wind of 50mph or more in certain directions, or gusts of 60mph or higher, regardless of wind direction.
From 25 January 2021, we made changes to the bridge to allow it to remain open more frequently during high winds, following extensive safety testing.
Now a new 50mph driving speed limit has been imposed and is used if there are wind speeds forecast of over 45mph. If wind speeds of 60mph or more are predicted, then the bridge is closed due to the safety risk to motorists. The 60mph driver speed limit remains in place on the bridge during low winds.
Protocol documents
Latest Orwell Bridge closure protocol document.
Previous Orwell Bridge closure protocol document.
View the latest bridge closure and wind speed reduction data.
Technical reports
A report was specifically commissioned from independent experts at City, University of London using ground-breaking techniques, to better assess how wind speeds affect different types of vehicles on the bridge. It has identified new things that could help to keep the bridge open during high winds.
The findings are theoretical, and have now been tested using a wind tunnel. Read:
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