Suffolk Highways reveal schedule for The Street in Aldham

Suffolk Highways has revealed its schedule of works to fix The Street in Aldham, near Hadleigh, which has been closed since November 2023. 

After the completion of vegetation clearance, the next phase of work is due to start on Monday, September 16. 

The road first collapsed in November 2023 (Image: Jenni Green)

Once these repairs are completed, the road can be reopened. 

It is anticipated the work will take around four weeks and be completed by the middle of October - almost one year after the road first shut due to the issue.

Finishing the work is subject to change due to factors such as weather, ecology and ground conditions. 

The repairs have been beset by delays, causing angst among people in the village and nearby Elmsett. 

It had initially been hoped the road could be reopened to light traffic before the end of 2023.

Further investigations in February established that a "simple repair won't suffice", meaning a full design and repair scheme was needed. 

While Suffolk Highways was aiming to start the work in the summer, further delays were uncovered when birds were found nesting at the site. 

Sasha Lawrence, the former owner of Elmsett Village Stores, said the road closure had "killed their business". Her shop closed its doors at the end of March.

Bosses at Suffolk Highways revealed in July that repair work is set to total more than six figures once completed. 

Paul West, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for operational highways and flooding, told this newspaper: "It's six figures. Just thinking about how much things cost.

"When I understood that I thought 'that's a lot', but when you work out what things cost these days you can quite easily get into six figures when you start looking at the work that needs to be done to make things safe."