Suffolk companies are being asked to put a price on disruption on the A14 and Orwell Bridge closures for their business.

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce is urging businesses to take part in a poll about the major route - including questions about the effects of bridge closures and other issues around hold-ups and delays.

They are being asked how these might negatively influence investment and jobs in the county - as well as national economy security.

The chamber believes that in recent years there has been a "systemic policy failure" along the length of the A14 from Newmarket to the Port of Felixstowe - on the part of national and local policymakers.

Its A14 Improvement Group is gathering evidence from the county’s businesses to show why there needs to be an immediate and sustained focus from local authorities, the Department for Transport and National Highways to solve ongoing problems.

Chamber chief executive John Dugmore said: “It is vital that the voice of business gets some proper cut through amid the ongoing chatter about the A14.

"The aim of our research is to provide clear and unequivocal evidence as to how the continued delays, re-routings and congestion is negatively affecting the business community and how unless this is addressed there is a risk of investment being siphoned off to other parts of the country as a result.”

Suffolk Chamber is keen that as many businesses, of all sizes and from all sectors participate. It also wants to maximise response rates from the haulage, energy, logistics and ports sectors.

Head of public affairs Paul Simon said: “These sectors are of growing importance to the prosperity both of our county and the wider economy.

"No sensible government should ignore research which shows that such firms are finding that the additional costs of doing businesses due to closures and congestion are a growing burden.

“That is bad news for Suffolk and national economic security. We hope this research will be a wake-up call to policymakers to act quickly and invest properly in the much-neglected A14 infrastructure including the Orwell Bridge and the wider roads network in Suffolk.”

Suffolk businesses have until November 29 to make their views known, with the results are expected to be made public in the New Year.

The A14 survey, comprising 15 questions, can be found here.