‘Pothole emergency’ declared by new Essex County Council leader
Essex County Council’s new Leader has declared a ‘Pothole Emergency’, setting out urgent action to improve the county’s roads as a top priority for the new administration. At the council’s Annual General Meeting Councillor Peter Harris used his first act following confirmation as Leader to outline the move. He set out the new administration’s immediate […]
Essex: A120 Braintree scheme scrapped
Roads minister Simon Lightwood MP has confirmed the A120 Braintree to A12 scheme has been dropped entirely from the government’s Road Investment Strategy (RIS3). The decision, set out in a letter from roads minister Simon Lightwood to Braintree MP Sir James Cleverly, removes the long‑discussed project from the official pipeline of national road schemes between […]
Essex: Planning amendment granted for revised Braintree Village shuttle bus service
Braintree District Council’s Planning Committee has approved changes to a Section 106 agreement that will support a free shuttle bus service between Braintree town centre and Braintree Village to be reinstated. The original planning consent for Braintree Village included a requirement for a free shuttle bus service to help maintain strong links between the outlet shopping village and the town centre. The shuttle […]
Eastern English Councils’ pothole compensation tops £2m
New research from the BBC has found councils across the East of England have had to pay out more than £2 million settling claims for pothole damage on vehicles over the past five years. The research, published on the BBC website found Essex, which has nearly 5,000 miles of roads, had the highest number of […]
Additional £86m pledged to complete new Colchester A-road
An extra £86m has been announced to complete a new A-road near Colchester in Essex, that could link a new garden community with two major routes. In 2019, the government provided £99.9m for the new A1331 dual carriageway link road that will connect the A133 and the A120, says the BBC, but by the time […]
New homes could overwhelm Colchester road network, says councillor
A traffic expert has warned Colchester and Wivenhoe’s roads could buckle under plans for more than 9,000 new homes. Wivenhoe town councillor Rick Andrew told a Local Plan meeting the area cannot cope with the extra traffic, says the Colchester Gazette. Focusing on the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community, he said: “I don’t object to the […]
MOVA8 installation promises better journeys in Essex
Smart traffic technology that will reduce waiting times and queues will be installed at a busy A127 junction following success elsewhere in Southend, Essex. The traffic signals, where Progress Road in Eastwood meets the A127, will be fitted with high-tech MOVA8 software, says the Echo News. MOVA8 technology allows traffic signals to communicate with each […]
Essex and Suffolk MPs request funds for A137 rail-road crossing
Essex and Suffolk MPs have called on the government to help fund a new rail-road crossing between the two counties due to concerns about traffic and increased housing demand. The A137 Essex-Suffolk crossing, known as the Manningtree road underpass, is the main link road between north east Essex and south east Suffolk, says the Harwich […]
New Essex M25 Moto service stations could be halted over slow traffic concern
Plans for a new motorway service station on the M25 near Brentwood could be halted due to concerns that its slip roads may slow down traffic. Moto unveiled plans last year to bring two new service stations to the motorway between junctions 27 and 28, says Essex Live. The service area would be situated near […]
Essex plans to demolish 200-year-old bridge scrapped in favour of repairing it
Essex County Council are preparing a scheme to strengthen a 200-year-old bridge in Essex, removing the need to rebuild it. Independent assessors have previously confirmed that some of the oldest parts of Finchingfield Bridge are in a state of disrepair, says Essex Live. Essex Highways had put a plan together to rebuild the bridge with […]