Project Update – February 2026

Introduction

There has been significant progress on construction over the last month, specifically at Friday Street and Yoxford Roundabouts, Northern and Southern Park and Rides and along the beach.  We thank the community for their patience whilst these works are being carried out.

A12 Roundabout construction

Friday Street Roundabout: The closures at this junction of the A12 have enabled the project to undertake important works on drainage and kerb alignments for the roundabouts being built. Thank you for your continued patience whilst we complete this critical work. We are on schedule to open the roundabout to traffic on Monday 30 March. Whilst the works will not be fully complete, this will be a significant milestone and will improve the traffic flow in the area and the safety of the roads at this important junction. Once the full work on the road structure of the roundabouts is complete, the community will start to see a reduction of traffic management in the immediate areas and later in the year landscaping and planting of fora will begin.

March will see further closures of a section of the A12 and Friday Street junction as we complete the final connections of the roundabout to the road network. The weekend closures include:
A1094 Friday Street 8pm to 5am Tuesday 3rd to Thursday 5th March.
A1094 Friday Street at 8pm on Friday 6th March – 5am Monday 8th March
A1094 Friday Street at 8pm Friday 13th March – 5am Monday 15th March
A12 and A1094 at 8pm Friday 20thMarch – 5am Monday 22 March
A12 and A1094 at 8pm Friday 27 March – 5am Monday 29 March
The roundabout will then be open to traffic from Monday 30 March.

Yoxford Roundabout and local road improvements

The roundabout that is being constructed at Yoxford is also progressing well and will be operational to traffic from April. As with Friday Street, the roundabout will not be fully complete at this time, with landscaping and planting to commence later in the year. Further road closures are required ahead of the roundabout opening. Thank you for your patience whilst this work is undertaken. These include the following:
B1122 night closures (8pm- 5am) Monday 9 March – Friday 12 March
B1122 night closures (8pm – 5am) Monday 16 March – Friday 19 March
B1122 night closures (8pm – 5am) Monday 23 March – Friday 26 March
The roundabout will then be open to traffic from Tuesday 31 March.

Park and Rides

Both the Southern Park and Ride (Wickham Market) and Northern Park and Ride (Darsham) continue to open in phases with full openings due in late summer 2026.

Northern Park and Ride (NPR):  The roundabout that links the A12 to the Darsham Park and Ride is also being linked to the A12 in phases. The western arm of the roundabout is now linked to the A12 to traffic, we expect the roundabout to be operational by the end of March. Traffic lights remain in place to pace the traffic flow.  We are now working to increase the capacity to at the NPR to 280 spaces.  Once the roundabout is completed, work will start on re-opening Willow Marsh Lane.

Southern Park and Ride (SPR): The access road to the Park and Ride at Wickham Market is due to open at the end of March which is timed with the completion of the cadent gas works that are ongoing on the slip road and roundabout.

Sizewell C workers have now been allocated parking space, which will alleviate pressure on local roads.  Our bus fleet is increasing and will be transporting workers to and from the Park and Rides, the prescribed routes for the buses are A12 and B1122.  Road signs will be put up on the A12 during March.

Roads

Local roads: The local road improvements at Yoxford are due to be completed tonight (Friday 6 March).  The works have included the construction of a signalised crossing across the A12 and access improvements to the High Street and the A12. Due to the nature of the works, the work had to be carried out during the night.  We thank the Yoxford community for their patience during the works.

Plans for the B1122 improvements at Middleton are due to start after the Easter bank holiday in April, precise timings will be communicated in advance of the works.

A12 improvement works at Marlesford are due to commence in May, this will require traffic management during the day and night time closures. The works include a new pedestrian crossing, new footpath and resurfacing of the road.  Works will progress to Little Glemham where a pedestrian crossing will also be installed and road widening and footpath improvements at the junction of the A12 and Church Road. Towards the end of the year, improvements to the A12 junction at Rendham Road at Saxmundham will be constructed.

Two Village Bypass:  The main construction access site has been moved away from Tinker Brook Lane and over to the A12 as you enter Stratford St Andrew.  This is a formal turning into site, it will not require traffic lights to manage.  The contractors (Galliford Try) office and welfare facilities have also been established at this site.

Sizewell Link Road: Preparation for earth movements in spring are ongoing along with site establishment.  Precise timings for the accompanying and planned road closures for Pretty Road, Moat Road and George road are being worked out, the closures are being considered alongside the re-opening of Abbey Lane.  We will communicate in advance once the details are confirmed.

In and around Leiston:  Significant activity continues around the road network around Leiston.  Over March including the installation of the rail line across Abbey Road (B1122) to connect the Green Rail Route. Improvements to the site accesses to the Temporary Construction Area (TCA) off Lovers Lane continue to be built.   Work to construct the rail line continues in and around Buckleswood Road, this will require Buckleswood road to be closed again with dates to be confirmed.  

Rail

The improvements to the Saxmundham to Leiston rail line continue with construction of the branch line to the Temporary Construction Area continuing at pace.  Level crossings improvements and construction will require small road closures, which will be outlined via the Sizewell C workers tracker  Sizewell C Works Tracker - Track SZC Projects & Get Alerts for New Activities.

On Monday 23 February, the first engineering train arrived at the Ancillary Construction Area (ACA) site in Leiston delivering ballast. Further engineering trains will arrive from March.  Between 23 and 31 May Network Rail will be working on the rail line between Ipswich and Lowestoft. A bus replacement service will be in operation throughout.  This is for heavy maintenance at various points along the line, including at Saxmundham (at the turning towards Leiston).  Further foundations for signalling upgrades and Troughing installation, which  involves preparing a clear, level surface (often with a mortar bed), laying and connecting trough units, installing cables, and securing lids.

Main Construction Area (MCA) including Sizewell Beach   

During March the temporary Main Bulk Import Facility (MBIF) will continue to be constructed, a jack up barge is now positioned offshore as part of the construction.  The MBIF will extend approximately 500 metres from the Main Construction Site into the North Sea, supporting our strategy to deliver 60% of construction materials by rail and sea.  The jack-up barge will facilitate marine works for the jetty.  Whilst the construction on the beach end is carried out, this will involve temporary weekday beach closures at the northern end of the Sizewell C construction site.  The closures will be lifted during the weekend and will be open from 06:00 Saturday to 22:00 Sunday. The footpath will fully reopen once construction progresses into the North Sea. The public footpath will re-open in early April.

We continue to progress the installation of pipe works for the desalination and drainage outfall. Vessels that are supporting the installation of the marine heads related to the pipes continue works within the SZC harbour area.

Temporary Construction Area (TCA)  

Construction of the Green Rail Route (GRR) down towards Abbey Road (B1122) continues at pace, along with construction of the desalination plant and concrete batching plant.  Currently the intake and output tunnels for the desalination plant are being installed. Towards the campus, work on constructing the plaza roundabout will start shortly and is due to be open in early 2027.  This will eventually form the main access to the Sizewell construction site and host bus arrivals and security.