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 started maintenance work to replace two westbound bridge expansion joints on 16 June.
From 19 July – removal of contraflow
We’re approaching the final stage of joint replacement work on the A14 Orwell Bridge.
We've been working 24/7, including weekends, to replace the joints on the westbound bridge carriageway.
We've now secured new joints in place and we’re resurfacing the carriageway ready to reopen the bridge.
Weather permitting, we’ll remove the contraflow over the next few nights. To do this safely, we'll need to close the A14:
Saturday 19 July - A14 westbound between junctions 58 and 56, including junction 56 entry slip road towards Cambridge
Closed overnight (8pm to 6am).
Sunday 20 to Tuesday 22 July - A14 eastbound between junctions 55 and 57 (towards Felixstowe) and entry slip road at junction 57
Closed overnight on Tuesday 22 July (8pm to 6am).
There'll also be a single lane closure on the westbound bridge carriageway with one lane remaining open.
Wednesday 23 to Friday 25 July
We'll need a series of overnight (8pm to 6am) single lane closures on the bridge in both directions to finish our work and remove the remaining traffic management.
We aim to complete work and fully remove the contraflow by the end of next week, weather permitting. This will mean the A14 is fully reopened to traffic in both directions ahead of schedule.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we near completion of this essential work.
Other remedial work
We expect to carry out some remedial work to the drainage gullies, footway and bridge parapet after the main works are completed.
We may need additional lane closures to do these jobs. However, we'll keep them to a minimum and we’ll keep you informed.
Diversions
If you want to travel along the A14 westbound while the contraflow and traffic management is removed:
- you'll be diverted from junction 58 (Seven Hills Interchange) and junction 55 (Copdock)
- then take the A12 and A121
The eastbound diversion is the same route in the opposite direction.
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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