Investment in road and travel infrastructure remains priority in East Suffolk
The leader of the district council says he continues to argue for extra investment in our exclusive #LeadersinLockdown interview
WATCH: Steve Gallant answers your questions in our exclusive #LeadersInLockdown interview from 7pm tonight.
Pushing for extra investment in the road and travel infrastructure remains a priority for East Suffolk Council.
Leader of the authority, Steve Gallant, says he continues to make the arguments to central Government and Highways colleagues within the county council.
It's after Lowestoft resident, Sandra Daniels, asked:
"When is Lowestoft going to get a decent road structure between here and Ipswich to enable this town to attract businesses, money and jobs?"
The main route between the two towns is along the A12 which is a mixture of dual and single carriageways, heavily reliant on there being no accidents due to the impact it has on businesses.
Councillor Gallant thinks investments being carried out in Lowestoft, including flood defences and the Gull Wing bridge, the town's third crossing, will add to the "accessibility and prosperity" of the area.
He highlighted an ongoing consultation held by Suffolk County Council on improvements to the A12 closer to Ipswich which is due to end tomorrow (19 March).
It includes plans to "enhance highway capacity" at eight junctions on the A12 between the A14 Seven Hills and A1152 Woods Lane at Melton.
Cllr Gallant said, if Sizewell C is permitted, there will be other road adjustments to accommodate the extra traffic expected.
He said: "Like Sandra, I would love to see more investment all the time, particularly in road infrastructure, rail and buses. All the transport stuff that's going around I would love to see more investment, but we can only take what we can take at any given time.
"We continue to make that argument, make that fight, to central Government and to our County Council Highways colleagues in order to improve the lot."
The Leader of East Suffolk Council recognised the importance of the the road infrastructure for businesses to prosper in the area, but said it's difficult to plan for accidents, which often result in lengthy closures.
He added: "If there's a significant accident on the A14 Orwell Bridge, we've seen places like that, it shuts down local areas. But the reality is we need to have a suitable road infrastructure that is suitable for the normal situation we find ourselves in, which is the daily commute and the support for businesses in the locality.
"We can't immediately plan for emergencies but what we can do is make sure it's fit for purpose for daily use."
You can hear more about what Steve Gallant has to say on Freeport East, recovering from the pandemic, rough sleeping, young carers and more when the full interview premieres this evening.