Orwell Bridge, Ipswich
We carried out upgrades to the Orwell Bridge in Ipswich. In 2021, we installed new electronic signs showing changeable speed limits so that traffic can travel over the bridge at lower speeds safely even during high winds, meaning that we keep the bridge open more often during storms. During 2023 and 2024, we are carrying out bridge inspections as part of our usual six-year maintenance procedures.
Latest updates
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12 September 2024
Upcoming works and closures
Later this week, we’ll start carrying out essential repairs on the westbound carriageway of the Orwell bridge. We need to begin this complex operation following our routine inspection on 6 September, where we identified that one of the bridge joints is in a potentially unsafe condition.
We'll work between Friday 13 September and Thursday 19 September 2024, weather permitting, to repair the damaged sections of bridge joint.
Closures and diversions
To carry out the work safely, we’ll need to close the full westbound carriageway between 9pm and 5am on Tuesday 17 September and Wednesday 18 September. The road is scheduled to fully reopen on Thursday 19 September by 5am.
View the diversion route here.
If you are driving westbound:
- Turn at J57 on to the A14.
- Follow to J58 and take the exit slip to the A12.
- Join the A1214 from the 1st exit on roundabout Martlesham.
- Continue on A1214 (main road and Woodbridge road) to the roundabout.
- Take the 3rd exit to Colchester Road to rejoin the A1214 (Valley road).
- Continue on A1214 (Yarmouth road) and turn right to Join A1214 (London Road).
- Continue to Copdock Interchange.
We thank you for your patience and apologise for any inconvenience.
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11 September 2024
Update on westbound lane closure
During a routine inspection on 6 September, we identified that one of the bridge joints is in a potentially unsafe condition. As a result, we have closed lane one westbound on Orwell Bridge.
The lane closure will be in place until a temporary joint cover plate can be installed which will enable the lane closure to be removed.
We are working hard to both rectify the defect and subsequently re-open the closed lane as soon as possible. The safety of those who work and travel on our road network is our top priority.
This is a complex operation; planning is already underway and preparatory works are programmed to commence this week. These access works are needed to enable the next stage of replacing the necessary components to the bridge structure.
This is a specialist procedure involving numerous factors, but we hope that this will be resolved within the next couple of weeks.
This course of action is necessary to ensure all road users remain safe whilst travelling on our road network.
Thank you for your patience.
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06 September 2024
Lane closure, from 6 September 2024
We need to close lane one westbound on Orwell Bridge from 9pm.
The lane closure will be in place from tonight (Friday 6 September 2024) from 9pm until further notice.
During a routine inspection today, one of the bridge joints is in a potentially unsafe condition.
The lane closure will be in place until a temporary joint cover plate can be installed which will enable the lane closure to be removed.
We appreciate the impact this will have on the local community but taking this course of action is necessary to ensure all road users remain safe whilst travelling on our road networks. We will carry out all work overnight when traffic levels are at their lowest to cause the least possible disruption.
Closure information
Lane one westbound on A14 Orwell Bridge will be closed from tonight at 9pm until further notice. There will be no diversion in place as lane two will still be in use.
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12 August 2024
Overnight lane closures, 12 to 16 August 2024
There will be overnight lane closures on the Orwell Bridge during the week commencing 12 August from 21:00 hours to 05:00 hours for routine drainage work on the bridge.
There will be lane closures on the following dates:
- Mon 12 August and Tuesday 13 August – lane closures on the Eastbound carriageway
- Wednesday 14 August – lane closures on both sides of the carriageway
- Thursday 15 August and Friday 16 August – lane closures on the westbound carriageway
We thank you for your patience, and apologise for any inconvenience.
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13 May 2024
Bridge closures for routine safety inspections, 20 May to 23 May 2024
We will need to close the A14 Orwell Bridge in Ipswich for routine safety inspections to ensure the structure remains safe and serviceable. Routine inspections are done every six years.
We’ll complete this work over four nights from Monday 20 May to Thursday 23 May, working between 8pm and 6am, weather conditions permitting.
Over these four days, routine maintenance of signs and signals, a weather station and CCTV will also be carried out at 26 different locations whilst the bridge is closed, reducing the need for future planned closures. Nearby streetlight work is also taking place.
The bridge inspection work will involve specialist equipment, including a hydraulic platform which lifts engineers over the side of the bridge so they can work underneath the structure. A hydraulics engineer will be on site throughout the work to monitor the platform’s performance.
We appreciate the impact any bridge closure has on the local community. We only close the bridge when absolutely necessary for safety. We carry out planned work overnight when traffic levels are at their lowest to cause the least possible disruption.
Closure dates
- Monday 20 May and Tuesday 21 May: A14 eastbound between junctions 55 and 58 closed overnight from 8pm until 6am.
- Wednesday 22 May and Thursday 23 May: A14 westbound between junctions 58 and 55 closed overnight from 8pm until 6am.
Diversion map
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15 November 2023
Road closures for bridge inspections, December 2023
We are doing routine structural surveys on the bridge, which are carried out every six years.
As part of the maintenance work, during the summer workers abseiled down to inspect the bridge piers, which are the vertical support structures. The vertical supports and the internal sections of the bridge have all been inspected.
However, we now to do the last phase of inspections. The entire underside of the Orwell bridge decks are now being inspected using a large inspection vehicle which allows us to look under the bridge.
For safety reasons, we need to close the road during these inspections.
Road closures
- A14 J58 to J56 full westbound carriageway closure from 8pm to 6am on Monday 20 to Friday 24 November 2023 (5 nights)
- A14 J55 to J58 full eastbound carriageway closure from 8pm to 6am on Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December 2023 (5 nights)
- A14 westbound lane 2 closure over bridge from 8pm to 6am on Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December 2023 (5 nights). Except on Wednesday 29 November when the closures will be delayed until 10pm as Ipswich Town are playing at home that night. This will allow local traffic to disperse before the A14 traffic uses the diversion route.
Diversion route
During the westbound closure, traffic from A14 J58 will be sent up the A12 to the A1214 roundabout, then west along the whole A1214 over the top of Ipswich, down to A14 J55.
The A14 eastbound closure will follow the same route in reverse.
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15 June 2023
Overnight road closures on Thursday 15 to Friday 16 June 2023
Essential barrier repairs are due to begin tonight on the A14 Orwell Bridge, ahead of the 40mph temporary speed restriction being lifted once these are complete.
From 8pm on Thursday 15 June to 6am on Friday 16 June 2023, all eastbound traffic will be diverted off the A14 at J55 where a diversion will be in place.
One lane of the westbound carriageway on the bridge will also be closed overnight to allow contractors to work safely on the central barrier.
The repairs are expected to take two nights to complete - with the same restrictions also due to be in place between 8pm on Friday 16 June until 6am on Saturday 17 June. Once the work is complete, the 60mph speed limit will be reinstated.
A temporary speed restriction of 40mph has been in place since the central barrier was badly damaged during a collision involving a HGV on the 9 May 2023.
Due to the complexity of the repairs, specialist parts were needed which has meant the temporary speed restriction has remained in place for a number of weeks due to the damaged barrier.
This has been for the safety of those using the bridge. Thank you for your patience while this complex repair is completed.
Diversion
The diversion for those travelling eastbound will take traffic off the A14 at J55 and onto A1214 (Colchester Road) and the A12 ahead of re-joining the A14 at junction 58.
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29 March 2021
Road closures - installation of electronic signs
We have now completed our work. We have installed new electronic signs on the bridge which display changeable driver speed limits. The changes mean more reliable journeys for people living, working and traveling in Ipswich. The maximum speed limit shown will be lower when it is windy. This will allow traffic to still use the bridge even during strong winds. The bridge will still be closed if wind speeds of 60mph or above predicted due to the safety risk to motorists.
Project information
The new electronic signs display a maximum driver speed limit of 60mph for winds speeds of up to 45mph, or a 40mph driver speed limit if wind speeds of between 45mph to 60mph are forecast.
Speed cameras are in place on the bridge to enforce the maximum speed limits displayed on the electronic speed signs.
Orwell Bridge is now able to remain open to drivers more often during storms, and that means less congestion in town due to bridge closures.
We only close the bridge for safety reasons when it is essential, and for as short a time as possible. The bridge will be closed if wind speeds of 60mph or above predicted due to the safety risk to motorists.
Background
A year-long study was made on the aerodynamic properties of the Orwell Bridge, to identify potential steps that we can take to keep the Orwell Bridge open to traffic during high winds. The report was carried out on our behalf by City University of London and they used the latest computer technology designed to test vehicle stability specifically on the Orwell Bridge. The bridge was split into 15 million ‘cells’ for the study and 36,000 tests were run. They assessed the accident risks for different types of vehicles and wind directions.
The aerodynamic study concluded that the current wind limit of 60mph for closing the bridge is correct for safety, but that reducing the traffic speed limit down from 60mph during high winds means that the bridge can remain safely open when the wind is at certain speeds.
The findings were theoretical and needed to be validated using a wind tunnel. Wind tunnel testing was carried out during 2020. These tests mean that we now understand better how winds of different speeds and directions can affect the safety of traffic on the bridge. You can read about the study.
A road safety audit was also carried out to confirm that the new signs do not pose any safety issues.
Safety is our number one priority. Like other high bridges around the country, the safety of road users on Orwell Bridge can be affected by high winds. The bridge is closed to all traffic if there are gusts of wind of 50mph or more in certain directions, or gusts of 60mph or higher, regardless of wind direction. This is in line with best practice, and is based on studies of lorries overturning in strong winds.
Decisions to close the bridge are based on Met Office forecasts. This allows us to inform road users in advance of any potential closures, and reduce the impact of traffic on the diversion route through Ipswich.
In recent years we had already made some changes so that closures can be both implemented and removed within a 20-minute period, and we had introduced a new protocol for making and communicating decisions about the bridge closures to give road users more time to make decisions about their journeys.
We’ve later commissioned new ground-breaking studies which show that we can let traffic use the bridge even during certain strong wind speeds if the speed limit is reduced.
We have now completed our work to install the new signs that allow the speed limits to be changed according to the wind speed.
Documents
Traffic information
Information about scheduled roadworks and events on our motorways and major roads.X
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