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'Traffic was so bad it took two hours to get milk'

George Kingand
Jaimielee Rendall,Suffolk
Supplied Ellie Hopkins has red and black hair and is wearing glasses. She is looking into the camera.Supplied
Ellie Hopkins questioned why the roadworks were not carried out overnight

Motorists were left stuck in "snail's pace" traffic for hours as roadworks gridlocked a retail park and brought cars to a standstill.

Anson Road, in Martlesham, Suffolk, is partially closed for five days while Situ Energy Ltd installs cables for new electric vehicle charging points at the nearby BP garage.

Drivers told the BBC they encountered some delays heading into the shopping complex, but faced "incredibly slow-moving" traffic while trying to leave.

Situ Energy Ltd and Suffolk County Council have been contacted for comment.

Ellie Hopkins said picking up three cartons of milk had turned into a two-hour ordeal, while getting out of her parking space also took 10 minutes.

Jaimielee Rendall/BBC Red barriers and road closed signs at a roundabout on which there is a queue of cars.Jaimielee Rendall/BBC
Anson Road going westbound could be closed until the end of the week, so drivers have to find an alternative exit from the retail park

"It was horrendous and incredibly slow... It was a snail's pace," Hopkins said.

"There were definitely people getting into heated discussions about whether to let each other out. People were stuck at a standstill for a really, really long time.

"Everyone knows that route from Tesco past BP is bad on a regular day. To not plan around that seems ridiculous."

Sharon Watts got back to her car at 12:20 BST after purchasing some euros at Tesco for an upcoming holiday, but said she did not get out of the car park until 15:10.

"It was terrible and people were getting angry because of the traffic not moving - personally I think the workers could have done this at night."

Another driver told the BBC they just abandoned their car after a lengthy wait in the queues.

Jaimielee Rendall/BBC Brandon and Tony Wild wearing black polo shirts with Wild Plumbing and Heating written on them. They are standing in front of the back of a van, which is open.Jaimielee Rendall/BBC
Plumber Brandon Wild (right) said he and his dad, Tony Wild, would be late getting to their next job due to the traffic

Brandon Wild, however, said traffic was "always a nightmare" around the retail park.

But the 26-year-old did suggest the roadworks were not helping the situation.

"It's not helpful at all, and it is going to take longer to get to my next job," he said.

Ellie Farrow, 29, agreed traffic could sometimes be bad in Martlesham regardless of the roadworks, but described the current situation as "chaos".

"I think going home is going to be worse than coming in. Going home is going to be hell," she added.

Jaimielee Rendall/BBC Standstill traffic on the approach to a roundabout. On the left of the image is a yellow Diversion sign with an arrow pointing left. In the background is a Pets at Home and a Tesco sign.Jaimielee Rendall/BBC
Traffic was said to be particularly bad on the approach to a roundabout on Anson Road, where works are being carried out nearby

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