This eye-catching aerial photograph shows how work is progressing on building a 'much needed' £6m road scheme designed to ease congestion in north Lowestoft.

Eastern Daily Press: Work is underway on the Lowestoft Northern Spine Road.Work is underway on the Lowestoft Northern Spine Road. (Image: © Archant 2014)

Work on the fifth and final stage of the Northern Spine Road project started in June and is due to be completed next March.

Once the Suffolk County Council project is finished it is said the 1.1km single-carriageway road built between the Millennium Way-Bentley Drive roundabout and the A12-Corton Long Lane junction will ease congestion.

The photograph taken by Mike Page from his plane shows how construction has started on a roundabout for a new junction arrangement at the A12 and earthworks are well underway as the project remains on schedule.

Once work is finished, motorists will be able to travel at 40mph on the new road – 10mph faster than on Yarmouth Road – and the construction of the new roundabout will see parts of Blundeston Road turned into cul-de-sacs.

The county council says that the new road will see more than 80pc of traffic use it instead of Bentley Drive.

Graham Newman, cabinet member for roads, planning and transport said: 'The Northern Spine Road project received a £4.63m funding boost from the government last year which meant the fifth and final stage of the road could be built.

'This much-needed infrastructure scheme, which will see a 1.1km single carriageway built connecting the roundabout at Millennium Way/Bentley Drive with the A12, is the final stage needed to complete this.

'Once completed, the road will also include a shared walk and cycleway, which will provide a safe and direct route for pedestrians and cyclists, and remove through traffic and congestion from the residential area of Bentley Drive,' he added.

'It is estimated that 85pc of the traffic that will use the new carriageway would have otherwise used Bentley Drive so I'm extremely pleased that we can lighten the burden on constant traffic down this residential road.'

As previously reported in The Journal, Suffolk County Council had originally planned for traffic lights at the new junction with the A12 Yarmouth Road, but the authority revised its plans to have a roundabout instead.

A county council spokesman said: 'Work started on the scheme in June. Work is currently on programme to complete in March 2015.'

Last May, the government awarded £4.63m in funding for the project and the county council is contributing £1.5m.

Council office project update – page 11