Why it matters: Commuters using Sproughton Road between the railway bridge and Farthing Road Industrial Estate will face disruption from January to June, including five nights of complete closure in late May. The development has created hundreds of jobs and officials expect it to deliver hundreds more.
The details: Suffolk County Council approved manned traffic lights operating between 06:30 and 19:00 from 5 January to 12 June 2026 to maintain traffic movement.
The road will close completely overnight from 25 May to 29 May between 21:00 and 05:00.
For context: Ipswich Borough Council and Brooks & Wood will construct a new roundabout as part of the final phase of the Eastern Gateway development. Babergh District Council's planning department requested the roundabout to provide safe access in and out of the site. Workers will also build new cycle and pedestrian routes on Sproughton Road.
The bigger picture: The Eastern Gateway business park will complete in 2026, the borough council confirmed, ending a 12-year project on 130 acres the council bought in December 2014. The site has outline planning consent for over 1,000,000 sq ft of industrial, logistics and commercial uses, according to the Eastern Gateway website.
Existing occupiers include a 265,000 sq ft national distribution unit for LDH (La Doria) Ltd and a 100,000 sq ft delivery station for Amazon. Additional plots remain available for development adjacent to Junction 54 of the A14.
What they're saying: Councillor Neil MacDonald, leader of Ipswich Borough Council, said: "We are immensely proud of all the hard work that has gone into developing the Eastern Gateway hub, from 130 acres of land being acquired in December 2014 to the final construction phase ending in 2026, our goal has always been to stimulate economic growth and create new job opportunities for residents and businesses.
"We apologise for any inconvenience that may be caused and are making every effort to minimise disruption around the Sproughton Road area. These temporary traffic management measures are necessary to keep everyone safe whilst construction work takes place. If anyone has any questions or queries about the Eastern Gateway, the project team will do their utmost to address them."
What's next: The council will contact affected businesses on Sproughton Road to maintain safe access. People can send questions to eastern.gateway@ipswich.gov.uk
The bottom line: The works will complete the Eastern Gateway business park's 12-year transformation, which has created hundreds of jobs and is expected to deliver hundreds more. Expect delays on Sproughton Road from January to June, with complete overnight closures from 25-29 May.
