A Suffolk transport boss says plans to close a section of the A14 for a month will cause traffic problems and result in his lorries having to divert along unsuitable rural roads.
Simon Wilson, director of Elmswell-based H C Wilson Transport, said the plan to close a 26 mile section of the dual carriageway from Monday would add to existing traffic chaos through Elmswell caused by a road closure for an 86-home development.
Currently, School Road is closed to enable the installation of utilities and highway improvements, meaning lorries have to use other roads.
National Highways, which maintains major A roads in the UK, will be closing the A14 between junction 43 at Bury St Edmunds and junction 51 at Barham for resurfacing work aimed at improving safety and creating a more smooth ride.
The overnight closures will be on Monday to Friday from 8pm until 6am and will alternate between the eastbound and westbound carriageways until the roadworks are due to end on March 28.
Vehicles will be diverted towards Diss before rejoining the A14.
But Mr Wilson said these 'back roads' were not suitable for lorries and he could not understand why a 26 mile section was being shut when the main work was taking place to a two mile section between junction 47a at Haughley and junction 49 at Tothill.
He believed his trucks would have to park up in lay-bys because of traffic problems on the dual carriageway caused by the works.
He added: "The amount of parking spaces on the A14 are in ludicrously short supply so if you send trucks off to the wild, you are going to have more traffic problems."
He said other transport firms in the area would also be affected.
"They will have no alternative but to go through villages like Woolpit and Haughley to go about their normal business," Mr Wilson said.
A National Highways spokesperson said: "We understand living and working near a roadworks is not easy, and we appreciate people’s patience as we prepare to reconstruct the concrete road surface of the A14 between Haughley and Tothill.
"The closures are needed to allow us to construct a contraflow system, which will allow the A14 to remain open while we complete the reconstruction of the carriageways, minimising disruption to motorists in the long run.
Mr Wilson is due to meet highways bosses on Thursday to discuss the situation.
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