A14 eastbound at Claydon reopens after large potholes repaired

Heavy rainfall has seen potholes open up (file image). Picture: PA WIRE/PA IMAGES PA Wire/PA Images

A key section of the A14 in Suffolk was shut for emergency repairs today after two large potholes opened up during heavy rainfall.

Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in.

The eastbound carriageway in Claydon was closed from 10am until around 1pm and a diversion was put in place via junction 52.

The road is managed by Highways England and engineers were sent out to fix the damage.

A pothole was filled on the same stretch of road just last Thursday.

The A14 is an essential link between the Port of the Felixstowe and other parts of the country.

Felixstowe town councillor Graham Newman said problems on the road had a big impact on the smooth-running of the port, which is the busiest in the UK.

He added: “It messes up the port because they have a whole booking system so by the time people get to Claydon they have been scheduled to get to the port for a certain time so it messes up all the loading and unloading of containers and getting the ships to the right place. That makes it very important.”

Highways England is in the middle of a project to repair and resurface parts of the A14, including between the Orwell Bridge and Felixstowe.

Suffolk county councillor Jane Storey, cabinet member for Highways, said: “Generally speaking I would say we have had some really atrocious weather and Highways England have been trying to make repairs as soon as they can and they have been carrying out widespread repairs on the A14 all the way to Cambridge and Felixstowe so I dare say it will be done quite quickly. Unfortunately they did plan it while we had the really bad weather.”

A spokesman for Highways England said the repairs today were completed as part its “road inspection and maintenance programme”.

“Safety of road users and road workers is the top priority,” he added. “As such, road management and maintenance procedures are designed so that the organisation’s service providers react promptly to reports of poor road surfacing.

“Highways England identifies defects on the network which need attention through regular safety inspections undertaken by service providers and through reports from road users.

“These defects are then categorised and the organisation aims to repair the most serious ones within 24 hours.”

A spokesman for Suffolk Constabulary has urged motorists to be vigilant today following a weekend of downpours.

He said: “There’s lots of standing water due to the weather so we are advising motorists to be aware and pay attention to their surroundings as they are driving.”

The spokesman said police had received no reports of damage caused to vehicles by the potholes on the A14 at Claydon today.