A NUMBER of road closures will be in place in Lowestoft tomorrow (Thursday) ahead of the Olympic Torch relay.

And locals are being urged to 'bear these in mind' when making travel plans and heading off to work tomorrow.

A spokesman for Waveney District Council said: 'There will be disruption to travel through the morning and you will need to add time on to your journey if you are travelling through or near Lowestoft on Thursday morning - particularly immediately prior to the arrival of the torch telay and up to its southbound departure.'

The A12 will be closed in two phases from about 9.45am to 10.20am and from 10.20am to 11am. Through traffic will be diverted onto the A1117 Oulton Broad in the northbound and southbound direction.

The first phase will see the A12 initially closed to northbound traffic at Waveney Road/Station Square and at Katwijk Way/St Peter's Street roundabout at about 9.45am.

The spokesman added: 'The closure for southbound traffic will be implemented at about 10am closing the Tesco roundabout A1117 Bentley Drive/Leisure Way immediately after the last vehicle in the torch relay activation convoy.'

The second phase starts at about 10.20am as the torch relay leaves the High Street via Rant Score towards Ness Point.

'At this time a closure will be established at St Peter's Street/Artillery Way roundabout,' the spokesman added. 'The closure at Katwijk Way will then be removed and a closure will be established at Horn Hill/Tom Crisp Way roundabout preventing traffic entering this section of the A12.'

Once the torch emerges onto Station Square and crosses Bascule Bridge the A12 at the Tesco roundabout will re-open.

The Bascule Bridge will be closed to river traffic 10 minutes before the torch arrives at the northern end of Lowestoft and 10 minutes after the torch has left.

'Therefore Bascule Bridge will remain closed to river traffic from 9.50am to 11.10am. This will ensure the road is available for the torch at all times.'

Mutford Lock will remain closed to river traffic for the entire morning tomorrow. The railway level crossing will, however, continue to operate as normal throughout the morning.