Major resurfacing works at the busiest junction in a South Norfolk town look set to cause disruption with a complete road closure and 45-mile diversion.
Work to repair the carriageway will see Victoria Road, part of the main A1066 road through Diss, closed from the John Grose Ford garage to the Tesco entrance, on September 9. Traffic will instead be diverted on a 45-mile detour involving the A143 to Bury St Edmunds and A134 to Thetford.
It is the first of four consecutive Sundays that will see disruption as the work is carried out to resurface the road and install improved pedestrian measures.
Warning of the planned works, Christopher Queen, senior technician at Norfolk County Council, said in a letter to Diss Town Council: 'The existing carriageway has deteriorated due to wear and tear and a new surface is required to main safety for road users. To complete the work safely, a road closure will be required between 7am and 6pm on September 9.
'For the remaining Sundays, we hope to carry out the work in the evening from 4pm and overnight, under temporary multi-way traffic lights.
Earlier this month road works on Victoria Road caused huge tailbacks with motorists forced to wait up to two hours to travel just two miles after workmen did not remove the traffic lights.
Businesses are bracing themselves for the effects of the planned work.
Andy Pollard, director of Diss Car Parts, said: 'It's going to ruin us for that day. We will still be open even through people won't be able to get to us, what can you do?
'We really notice it when every time there has been road works. People phone us up and ask what the traffic is like and if it's bad they say 'oh, I'll leave it then'.'
Keith Canham, owner of Time Out café, said: 'It's a bit annoying because we get customers that come specifically on a Sunday for the roast. The car park behind us is always full on. It's a bit of a suck-it-and-see situation whether it will be worth opening or not.
'We have had a lot of road works along this road recently. Hopefully they will finally get it finished.'
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