Latest news with #PortofFelixstowe
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Orwell bridge work to cost £6m, says National Highways boss
Work to replace two joints on a major bridge is set to cost £6m, a National Highways boss said. Two expansion joints on the westbound carriageway of Orwell Bridge, on the A14 near Ipswich, will be replaced from 16 June until Amor, head of scheme delivery for National Highways in the East, said despite the cost of the work, the new joints would last for 50 added that staff would be working "around the clock" to ensure minimal disruption for drivers. "This work is costing around £6m so it's a big undertaking," Mr Amor said."The positive thing is these joints will last for 50 years so once the work is done we won't have to come back for many, many years."It is very complicated work so we have to extract the expansion joints from the bridge structure itself without damaging the bridge."So it is technical and delicate, it's a bit like major surgery on a bridge." The bridge has four of these joints in total - two on each side, with the eastbound carriageway's likely to be replaced within the next five years, according to Mr Amor. He added that carrying out the work in the summer was best for the workers with good weather and more daylight Amor said he was confident the work would be finished by the end of than 60,000 vehicles cross the 1km (0.6 mile) bridge - a key link to the Port of Felixstowe - every single will be various lane and road closures during the work, which have been detailed on National Highways' website. Public information events have also been planned where people were able to meet the project team and ask questions. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Felixstowe dock worker stories wanted to help inspire new play
A producer and playwright is looking for stories of dock workers to help bring a new theatre show to Goddard is working to find anyone who has worked at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk over the decades for a play called Don't Knock The play has been supported by Arts Council England, the county council and Eastern Angles and follows the lives of two 16-year-old friends who leave school and go on to work on the Goddard, who grew up in the town, said the play would celebrate stories of the workers over the years. "I know a lot of people who left school and went to work down the dock," she explained."It was the local industry, that's where people went."If we'd been living in a coal mining area they might have gone down the mines... it just happened to be the local place where everyone went to work."I've always thought that people don't really know enough of what goes on down there."But also I think those stories haven't been celebrated and there are so many people that work down there." Mrs Goddard and the team are predominantly looking for those who worked on the docks in the 1980s, but they were keen to hear from other decades well as this she stressed they wanted all types of workers to come forward including women whom she felt were important to include."I need more [stories]," she added."It doesn't have to be from the port perspective, it's anybody who worked down the dock, so that could be a shipping company, or a haulage company, a lorry driver, or people who worked in the other departments like the canteen, the firefighters, the police." Mrs Goddard has already begun collating stories and said there had been an "overriding theme of a sense of comradery" between the workers."Overwhelmingly they say they wouldn't have missed it for the world and they made such good friends," she continued."There's a lot of funny banter you get surrounding it, it's been really fun so far."Once the stories have been compiled the team, including director Ollie Harrington and sound designer Jack Baxter, will use these to draft the will then be two public script readings where people will be able to give feedback before the play will then hopefully be put on tour. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Port of Felixstowe responding to marine pollution incident
A warning has been issued after a suspected deposit of soot was discovered in water at a Port of Felixstowe is working with East Suffolk Council and other partners in response to the marine pollution incident on Wednesday council has urged members of the public to avoid coming into contact with any soot-like residue in the water or on the shore near the port. "Although any risk to public health is currently considered low, anyone who comes into contact is advised to wash the substance away thoroughly with soap and water," a council spokesperson added. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
