A14 resurfacing between Kentford and Bury paused in the heat and is due back, and Northgate Avenue gets signals 13-17 August. Which junction to use, and where to park.

Bury St Edmunds is wrapped around four A14 junctions, and most of the disruption people actually notice here comes from that road rather than from the town’s own streets. This page covers what National Highways and Suffolk County Council have on at the moment, and then the part that does not change: which junction to use for where, where to park, and what the town does and does not have by way of alternatives to driving in.

The A14 between Kentford and Bury: paused, and coming back

National Highways is resurfacing the A14 between junction 38 (Waterhall, at Kentford) and junction 42 (Westley), along with refreshing road markings and replacing cat’s eyes. The scheme is scheduled across spring and summer 2026 and runs as overnight closures, 9pm to 5am, so the road is open all day.

The last published closures were eastbound between junctions 38 and 41 on 29 and 30 July, and westbound between junctions 43 and 38 over the weekend of 1 and 2 August. Work then stopped for the weather, and National Highways explains why in its own words: “Due to recent record high temperatures, road surfaces sometimes take longer to cool and cure. With cooler temperatures now forecast, we’ll return to complete our work on the A14 between Kentford and Bury St Edmunds” (National Highways).

As of 9 August 2026 no new dates had been published for the return. If you drive this stretch at night, the daily closures page is the thing to check, not this page.

The diversions are long. When the eastbound carriageway shuts at junction 38, the signed route goes north on the A11 almost to Thetford, turns round at the London Road roundabout, comes back down through Elveden onto the A134 and into Bury on Compiegne Way to rejoin at junction 43. That is a substantial detour for a stretch you would otherwise cover in ten minutes, so if you are coming back from Cambridge late, leave earlier or plan for it.

The separate eastbound overnight closures between junctions 44 and 47a, which ran from 2 July, finished on 7 August 2026. Those are done.

Which junction you want

Four junctions serve one town, and picking the wrong one puts you on the ring road for an extra ten minutes.

The A14 junctions serving Bury St Edmunds and what each one is for Schematic of the A14 from junction 38 at Kentford to junction 45 at Rookery Crossroads. The shaded band marks the junction 38 to 42 resurfacing section. Junction 42 Westley serves the B1106 and A1302 for west Bury and Fornham. Junction 43 St Saviours serves the A143 and A1302 for the station, the town centre and Diss. Junction 44 Moreton Hall serves the A134 for Moreton Hall, Sudbury and Braintree. Junction 41 Risby and junction 38 Waterhall are outside the town. Four A14 junctions, one town: pick the right one Schematic, not to scale. Shaded band is the junction 38 to 42 resurfacing section, spring to summer 2026. RESURFACING, OVERNIGHT 9PM TO 5AM J38 J41 J42 J43 J44 Waterhall, Kentford, A11 for Thetford Risby and Burthorpe B1106 and A1302 West Bury, Fornham, Westley A143 and A1302 Station, town centre, Diss and Ixworth A134 Moreton Hall, Rougham, Sudbury, Braintree Source: National Highways; junction names as signed on the network.
  • Junction 43, St Saviours, is the one most people mean by “the Bury junction”. It feeds the A143 and A1302 for the station, the northern edge of town and the centre, and it is the junction the A14 diversions funnel traffic through.
  • Junction 44, Moreton Hall, is for Moreton Hall itself, the eastern estates, and the A134 south towards Sudbury.
  • Junction 42, Westley, is the western approach on the B1106 and A1302, best for Fornham and the west side rather than the middle of town.
  • Junction 41, Risby, and junction 38, Waterhall, are village and A11 junctions rather than town ones. Waterhall is where you leave for Thetford and Norwich.

Local roadworks on now

These are the town and district jobs Suffolk County Council and the utilities had booked in as of the county’s latest published roundup, Suffolk News, 26 July 2026:

  • Northgate Avenue, Bury St Edmunds: two-way traffic signals, 13 to 17 August, for Anglian Water. This is the road that runs past the station approach, so allow extra time for a train.
  • Mayfield Road, Bury St Edmunds: two-way signals until 17 August, Cadent gas.
  • Wratting Road, Haverhill: two-way signals, 10 to 28 August, Suffolk County Council. Three weeks on one of Haverhill’s main approaches.
  • Exning Road, Newmarket: multi-way signals, 17 to 19 August, Suffolk County Council.

The Bury Road and St Andrews Street South works that ran through late July have finished.

Roadworks lists go stale within days. For the live picture, Suffolk County Council publishes everything on one.network, which shows every permit on a map, and National Highways covers the A14 itself.

Parking in the town

West Suffolk Council runs the car parks, and the split between long stay and short stay is the thing to get right.

Long stay: Olding Road, the Parkway multi-storey, Ram Meadow, St Andrews long stay, plus Nowton Park and West Stow Country Park out of town. These are where you leave a car for a working day.

Short stay: arc-Cattlemarket, Chequer Square, Lower Baxter Street, School Yard, Parkway surface, Moreton Hall, Hardwick Heath, Bury leisure centre and Southgate Community Centre. St Andrews also has a flexi-stay.

One quirk worth knowing: the council runs a free from 3pm on Tuesdays offer, but it applies only to short stay car parks and to on-street bays where you would normally pay. It does not apply in any long stay car park (West Suffolk Council). Park in Ram Meadow on a Tuesday afternoon expecting a free ticket and you will get a fine.

There is no park and ride, and that is the answer

People search for a Bury St Edmunds park and ride, so it is worth being plain: the town does not have a permanent one. What exists is occasional and seasonal, a free Saturday shuttle that has been trialled from the Olding Road car park into the town in the run-up to Christmas. A permanent scheme has been raised repeatedly, including by the Moreton Hall Residents’ Association as the town grows, but it has not been judged viable and nothing is currently running.

For the town centre itself, the practical alternative is that Bury is small and flat. From Ram Meadow or the arc-Cattlemarket you are inside five minutes of almost everything in the centre on foot, which is usually quicker than circling for a space nearer.

Getting out without a car

The train to London always involves a change, usually at Stowmarket, and takes about 1h48 at best. The same Ipswich to Cambridge line is the useful one locally: Cambridge in around 40 minutes, Ipswich in around 35.

For everything else the district runs on buses, and fares are set by the operators rather than the council, so check with the operator on the route you need.

Frequently asked questions

Is the A14 closed at Bury St Edmunds?

Not during the day. National Highways is resurfacing between junctions 38 and 42 with overnight closures, 9pm to 5am, through spring and summer 2026. Work paused in the heat in early August and is due to return; new dates had not been published as of 9 August 2026.

Which A14 junction is Bury St Edmunds town centre?

Junction 43, St Saviours, onto the A143 and A1302. Junction 44, Moreton Hall, is the one for the eastern estates and the A134 to Sudbury.

Where can I park all day in Bury St Edmunds?

In a long stay car park: Olding Road, the Parkway multi-storey, Ram Meadow or St Andrews long stay. The free-from-3pm-Tuesday offer does not apply in any of them.

Does Bury St Edmunds have a park and ride?

No permanent one. A free Saturday shuttle from Olding Road has been trialled before Christmas in the past, but there is no year-round service.

Where do I check roadworks near me today?

one.network for county and utility works on local roads, and National Highways’ road closure report for the A14.

Sources

Checked 9 August 2026. Roadworks dates move constantly; treat the dated items here as a snapshot and confirm against the live sources before you plan a journey around them.