Beccles Southern Relief Road opens after 20-year campaign

A £7m road has been officially opened, following a 20-year campaign.

The Beccles Southern Relief Road means lorries will no longer have to travel through the historic town centre.

The 1.2 mile (1.9km) stretch will connect the A145 London Road with Ellough Road, providing an alternative route into Ellough Industrial Estate.

Waveney District Council leader Mark Bee said the road would make a "tremendous difference" to people living and working in the market town.

He said it was hoped the road would also help to create jobs on the industrial estate, which is part of an enterprise zone.

"If you stand in what is a medieval town with very narrow streets and narrow pavements and you got lorries passing and buses passing, that's not safe and it's not good for the environment," said Conservative leader Mr Bee.

"We have campaigned for about 20 years to try and see a relief for the congestion in the town centre."

The road has been funded by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and Suffolk County Council, with construction work getting under way last September.

Mr Bee said the council was now looking to develop the nearby Barnby Bends to help improve links between Beccles and Lowestoft in a bid to boost the economy.

Vice Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk Robert Rous cut the ribbon at Tuesday's official ceremony to open the long-awaited road.