A £1billion solution to traffic issues in Ipswich, made worse by closures and problems with the Orwell Bridge, may not be operational for nearly 15 years.
Solutions such as another bridge, a Northern Bypass or a tunnel underneath the river have all been suggested ahead of a Suffolk County Council cabinet meeting being held on Thursday, September 17.
The £300,000 process would refresh data and re-examine traffic options using the latest modelling, forecasts, incident data and environmental constraints and plan potential options which could cost up to £1billion.
Six options will be studied, including a new crossing of the River Orwell, a northern bypass for Ipswich, and improvements to junctions and urban traffic management.
The Reform-led council is also calling for rail upgrades at Ely and Haughley, which could remove up to 98,000 lorry journeys a year from the A14.
Councillor Christopher Hudson said: "By fully assessing the evidence we can develop a resilient and credible case for investment to present to the government, National Highways and regional partners.
"Moving too quickly to a single solution without that evidence would risk challenge and reduce confidence that all viable options had been properly considered."
Labour leader Martin Cook said: "Suffolk County Council admits it does not even know how often the Orwell Bridge closes.
"Reform are so unconcerned by what that does to Ipswich that they are happy to spend the rest of their term redoing work on options that the council finished in 2020, when the northern bypass came out top, on a timetable that pushes any solution beyond 2040.
"Cllr Hudson says the danger is moving too quickly. Nobody sitting in Ipswich's endless jams recognises that danger."
Last year a motion was passed by the then Conservative administration saying that a solution, including the Northern Bypass, should be found.
Richard Rout, leader of the Conservatives said: “We need to find a solution to the congestion problems in and around Ipswich when the Orwell Bridge closes and it’s positive that all the options are being explored.
"Looking at the council’s report, none of the proposals is likely to start construction until 2036 or be operational before the end of the 2030s - so, clearly, interim measures must be considered as well.
“It’s interesting that a tunnel has scored so highly this time, when previously it wasn’t considered viable. What we don’t want to see is a costly unicorn project that never materialises, raising people’s hopes - anything that’s explored must be grounded in reality.
“The council seems to be taking the right step in looking at every alternative but it must settle, as soon as possible, on a preferred option and move that forward at pace. As soon as the RIS5 pipeline begins to be considered, Suffolk needs to be front of the queue.
"That may mean needing to move slightly faster than the council is proposing - to be in the best possible position it would be useful to have a credible strategic case endorsed by Transport East in 2027, so that the issue is written into the evidence DfT consults on.”
Green party councillor Robert Lindsay, spokesperson for Transport and Highways said: "The Reform administration need to be honest with the public. There is no Government money for any big infrastructure projects like an Ipswich bypass or a new bridge.
"Reform need to have the courage to tell voters this rather than spending £300k of taxpayers' money to make consultants tell them.
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"They literally sent a memo to staff on the same day as this announcement saying that if council over-spending continued as it was, the county's reserves would fall below the minimum level required for safe governance.
"Reform took over control of the county five months ago yet we have had no progress from them on extracting the long-promised cash from Government for the upgrade the Haughley and Ely bottleneck rail junctions, which it is estimated would take about 100,000 lorries off the road every year.
"The affordable and sustainable way to reduce congestion in Ipswich is to get that rail upgrade done and invest in public transport and walking and cycling infrastructure which would encourage more people to leave their cars at home. Reform should be focusing our dwindling financial resources on that."
Jack Abbott MP lamented the 'delaying tactics' involved in the overhaul of the Orwell Bridge.
He said: "People will be very frustrated that we have had another wasted summer. We were led to believe that Suffolk County Council would finally be putting a proposal on the table, but that now appears to have been another delaying tactic, and they will now be carrying out further analysis for another six months.
"It will mean that it will have been seven years since Suffolk County Council cancelled plans for an Ipswich Northern Bypass, with nothing to show for it.
"This new work can't be for nothing. It has to mark the start of a genuine process to deliver a credible, affordable and deliverable alternative to the Orwell Bridge. I will keep pushing for that outcome in the best, long-term interests of Ipswich and Suffolk."
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