A134 Sicklesmere Road closure causes ‘absolute carnage’ near Bury St Edmunds as drivers use Hawstead Lane as rat-run

Roadworks on a key route in Bury St Edmunds continue to cause major disruption after the first of several planned weekend closures led to ‘absolute carnage’.

The A134 Sicklesmere Road was shut over the weekend and will be closed for a further seven until May 5 for work by Hopkins Homes to build a new roundabout to serve the Abbots Vale housing development.

With an official 43-mile diversion in place by Suffolk Highways, thousands chose to bypass it by using routes such as Hawstead Lane in Sicklesmere as a rat run — resulting in heavy congestion on the narrow road.

Meanwhile, concerns have continued about emergency vehicles being granted access after a video was shared with SuffolkNews this morning of an ambulance stuck in traffic.

Laura Graham, founder of Gee Gee’s Ranch Healing Acres CIC in Hawstead Lane, said the animal rescue and wellbeing farm relies on the road to bring thousands of litres of water to the site for their animals.

She said: “The road was absolute carnage — it’s just been a complete nightmare. Our animals rely on getting this water and it’s just becoming a lot more challenging.

“What people don’t realise is that the actual passing points on the road are like big drops, almost like banks either side, so cars are just getting stuck.

“It must be so frustrating for residents in Hawstead Lane too because people are pulling in to their drives to allow other cars to pass.

“It doesn’t help that the ‘road ahead closed’ sign on the A134 is literally right next to Hawstead Lane, so if you don’t know the area you would just think going down the road would be a good way round to still get to Bury.

“In terms of what’s going with the emergency services, I did see an ambulance being let through at Low Green on Sunday morning which was good — but it’s still quite scary to think about what they are having to go through.

Earlier this month, traffic management plans were updated to designate Rushbrooke Lane and Low Green as ‘no through roads’ to prevent rat-running — however, no such measures were made for Hawstead Lane.

Laura said her colleague saw several people get out of their cars to argue in the road on Saturday which was believed to have been overheard by children visiting the farm.

“Somebody has got to do something because there is going to accidents soon if it’s left like this,” she said.

“I just hope they reassess the plans before the next full closure — but I think they are just burying their heads in the sand now.”

A spokesperson from Hopkins Homes said: “The first full weekend closure allowed us to make good progress on key elements of the roadworks.

“We’d like to thank the contracting team for their hard work over the weekend, ensuring the works progressed as planned. These are major works that will drive significant benefits for Bury St Edmunds, contributing to improved traffic flow and reducing long-term congestion in the area.

“As outlined in the initial project plan, work will continue this week but there will be no weekend closures this weekend.

“We only implement weekend closures when essential to project progress, balancing the need to complete works safely and efficiently with reducing inconvenience for residents and road users.

“We acknowledge that members of the community have got in touch with questions and concerns, particularly regarding localised issues, and we continue to liaise with Suffolk Highways for their review and action.”

The upcoming weekend closures will be from 8pm on Fridays to 5am on Mondays on the following dates: March 7 and 10, March 21 and 24, March 28 and 31, April 4 and 7, April 11 and 14, April 25 and 28, and May 2 to May 5.

Peter Royce, chairman of Great Whelnetham and Little Whelnetham Parish Council, said he believed about 4,000 vehicles had used Hawstead Lane over the weekend and voiced concerns about potential damage to grass verges.

He said: “During a normal day, the road would be lucky to see around half a dozen vehicles — how can it handle the thousands using this route over the weekend?

“Almost every hour there were standoffs were cars going one way and cars going the other way were meeting in the middle of the road, both unable to go away — they’re stuck.

“There’s verges down there which have been totally decimated because of the vehicles trying to get around each other.

“Who is picking the bill for repairing the damage to these rural roads?”

A private online meeting between parish councillors, Hopkins Homes and Suffolk Highways is set for Wednesday after both parties failed to attend last week's meeting at Nowton Village Hall.

During this meeting, residents said their biggest concern was the impact of the weekend closures on emergency services reaching villages like Great Whelnetham, Little Whelnetham, Stanningfield, Hawstead and Rougham.

Dr Peter Prinsley, MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, said it was ‘unacceptable’ for emergency vehicles to be delayed due to the works and wrote a letter to the developers and Suffolk Highways to demand clarity on the issue.

Hopkins Homes confirmed that, during weekend closures, emergency vehicles and buses would be granted access via Low Green to Nowton Road with an on-site gateman managing entry.

However, despite these measures, an ambulance was filmed stuck on the A134 at 7.45am today.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We work closely with local authorities to mitigate the impact of any road closures on our ability to respond to medical emergencies. This includes allowing access for emergency vehicles.

“Together with other emergency services, we are engaging with Suffolk County Council about the weekend closures of the A134 Sicklesmere Road.”

A spokesperson from Hopkins Homes said: “We have not received any concerns from the East of England Ambulance Service but take this matter seriously.

“We continue to work closely with the emergency services to ensure they have smooth access through the site.

“We kindly encourage all road users, including emergency vehicles, to navigate the traffic management layout carefully to help us maintain safety and minimise delays, as we carry out these essential improvements.”

County Cllr Karen Soons was approached for comment, though she previously urged residents to report all their concerns through the correct channels using Highways’ online reporting tool.

This tool can be found here: www.suffolk.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/highway-maintenance/report-a-highways-issue

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