Suffolk County Council has unanimously approved plans for £63m in highways improvements to the A12.

The proposed works would take place between the A12/A14 Seven Hills Junction and the Woods Lane junction north of Woodbridge and are expected to include dualling the road between the B1438 and the B1079 junctions and other ‘significant upgrades'.

The council now has to formally submit its business case to the Department for Transport (DfT). Should the DfT approve the project, work is expected to start ‘around autumn 2027'.

Suffolk CC also added that, if approved, they expect that the Government will provide £54.067m towards the total costs, with the remaining £9.93m coming from developers and the council itself.

Cllr Christopher Hudson, Suffolk County Council Cabinet member for transport and highways, said: ‘This scheme will provide significant infrastructure improvements and is an investment in our county.

‘It will improve the resilience of the local road network as congestion is already a problem, especially at peak periods, and will also improve connectivity to the region's ports and support the visitor economy.'

Key features of the improvements include:

  • Highway upgrades to improve traffic flow and safety, including enhancements to seven road junctions.
  • Construction of a mobility hub at Adastral Park, designed to support sustainable travel options and improve public transport integration
  • Replacement of the Martlesham footbridge with a new non-motorised users bridge to improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists
  • New bus link junction north of Anson Road, connecting the A12 and Main Road via Portal Avenue
  • Dual carriageway upgrade between the A12/B1438 Ipswich Road junction and the A12/B1079 Grundisburgh Road junction, including a new layby, shared use footway/cycleway, and agricultural accessway
  • New shared-use footway/cycleways at Portal Avenue and north of A1152 Woods Lane, along with improved crossing facilities at key junctions
  • Additional highway features, such as maintenance bays, traffic signs, upgraded signals, and pedestrian crossings.