A133 Ipswich Road/Harwich Road improvement scheme, Colchester

Legislation dictates that when we have reduced lanes on a roundabout we must also reduce the approaches to the same number of lanes or fewer, this is for safety reasons for all network users (not only drivers) and without it collisions would be more likely due to rapid merging of lanes, bottlenecking or gridlocking

For the safety of the public and contractors' staff, as defined legally, we must maintain proper lane closures on the approaches to the junctions. However, we continuously monitor the site to find opportunities to adjust the traffic management barriers even if only for a short while.

The best source for detail of changing traffic management (signs, cones, barriers, alternative pedestrian crossings, road diversions), include the information boards on site and this project webpage. Please also check www.essex.gov.uk/traffic for the official permitted works and diversions and live traffic delays. Please also follow @Essex_Travel on twitter for live traffic information, including reported incidents, delays and when roads are clear again.

Eurovia staff are on site throughout the works and whenever a change in traffic management is required as work moves to a new area or begins a new phase, they will ensure traffic management is changed to keep everyone safe and traffic flowing as freely as possible. Whenever there is a chance, even for a short time, to lift or reduce some traffic management to improve traffic flow, they will do it. The traffic management in place will also change from time to time to allow for short duration works in localised areas such as footways/cycleways. As the scheme progresses you will start to see more large-scale traffic management set ups. This is for construction zones and will be in place for everyone’s safety. We appreciate your patience whilst these necessary works take place and ask that you please bear with us.

Whilst we appreciate it can be frustrating finding your way through the site, Eurovia are always on hand to give advice or help with directing any members of the public around the site. If you are unable to locate anyone, there will usually be advanced warning signs for specific footpath closures and there will be signs for you to follow a suitable and safe diversion. Please also see the footpath closure information boards that are on site at all the closure locations. This will enable you to check the routes that are open around the site.

There are various activities which have had to be carried out before we are able to start building the roundabouts and widening the carriageways, improving provision for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. These preliminary works include strengthening the retaining wall between the road and the railway cutting. This in itself is a significant operation and will require the construction of a continuous new, piled retaining wall behind the existing wall below the surface of the Ipswich Road roundabout. Certain activities such as utility diversions can take up to 8 weeks (for each group of service pipes or cables). With such a large-scale scheme this greatly extends the project timescale, in a way not immediately evident to all road users.

The majority of the preparation works being carried out are by contractors on behalf of the various utility companies, particularly BT and Anglian Water. What this means is that they provide the resource they feel is required to complete the tasks we have requested. We are still continuously liaising with the utilities and have already been able to bring some additional resources in at an early stage.

In terms of traffic capacity of the junctions, traffic modelling has been undertaken and demonstrates that the works will improve the overall capacity at both junctions. Regarding efficiency and operational benefits, the existing double mini-roundabouts necessitate two give-way points for the majority of movements and have more conflict points (when compared to the proposed), which leads to driver hesitation and consequently delay. With single, larger roundabouts, widened approaches and dual carriageway improvement between the two junctions there will be more capacity and a less complicated arrangement, where all movements need to give way just once and drivers are able to access and egress the junction more efficiently. In relation to safety benefits, the proposed roundabouts provide overall geometric safety improvements (with deflection, etc.) and as it is a single roundabout, there will be less manoeuvres and conflict points between traffic when compared with the existing mini-roundabout arrangement.

Works are being undertaken at night and weekends where this provides meaningful benefit to the progress of the scheme and full road closures can be utilised. We are currently heavily restricted to limited working areas due to the considerable amount of utility diversions required to be completed first. In addition, due to the proximity of residential properties there are environmental considerations associated with noise during the night which we need to abide by. As the scheme progresses and more working areas are available, the ability to increase resources and working hours will continually be evaluated with the intention to minimise the overall duration of the works where practicable.

The works are much more complex than just widening and changing the roundabouts. The tasks involved to complete the project include: removal of existing structures; diverting utilities pipes and cables over several months; undertaking piling works for the Waitrose and Network Rail walls to allow space for improvements; (This in itself is a significant operation and will require the construction of a continuous new piled retaining wall behind the existing wall below the surface of the Ipswich Road roundabout), replacement of street lighting; building the new wider carriageway and pavements; renew and improve cycle paths; improve pedestrian controlled crossings; renew highway lining and signs; build new roundabouts. This is without any unforeseen engineering complications that may arise, such as the long-standing water leak that had to be fixed on Harwich Rd (south).

A structural problem has now been found on the bridge over the mainline railway on Cowdray Avenue. Rather than have to close the road in future and perhaps have to re-excavate in this area, it has been decided to repair the bridge using the existing traffic restrictions at the Ipswich Road roundabout. This will further delay final completion of all works until the latter part of 2020, but will save a lot of money and potential traffic delays by carrying out the bridge repairs now.

We regularly update progress on this scheme via this website, we will also be providing weekly updates via Twitter and undertaking other communications activities (e.g. letter drops, public notices on site) dependent on what activities are being undertaken or coming up in the near future.

We always anticipated there was going to be disruption and delays, particularly at peak times during the works. As a result, we are ensuring that suitable diversions are in place for road closures and that we are providing regular advance updates on the Essex Highways website and Twitter feed. It may be important to reflect that this was already a heavily congested area prior to works starting and as such works of any size were bound to have an impact on the surrounding areas. Please allow additional time when making journeys through the area or choose alternative routes. We ask that drivers remain patient whilst we undertake these crucial works to help keep Colchester moving reliably for years to come.

The main construction contract cost is £5.5m plus an additional £1m for utility diversion costs.

The closure of Ipswich Road (south) is needed for final connections under the road to diverted high-pressure water mains by Anglian Water. This involves the flushing of the existing and the newly laid system. This then needs 10-14 days for testing to ensure everything is correct with the system itself before then reinstating this section. The road has to remain closed while this work under the road takes place.

This will then enable us to begin the heavy-machinery operation of the Piling works to build a new retaining wall to support a wider road above the railway line. This requires work to insert steel piles into the ground and then build the new concrete wall around them. Time has to be allowed for the concrete to cure or set. As the piling and building operation proceeds along the site, we will follow behind with road/kerb/pavement/street lighting construction. If we can find opportunities to minimise disruption to traffic during this time, we will.

Firstly, the large-scale operation of excavating the whole area to allow for a piling mat to be constructed will need to take place. This will involve the removal of existing roads, kerbs, lighting, existing walls and barriers and other irregularities in the ground. A “piling mat” of thick, solid material will then be constructed in this area to support the weight of the very large piling rig. Piles are long, strong steel columns which are hammered into the ground to give the main strength to the retaining wall. Piling is a very heavy, noisy and prolonged operation. When each section of piles is in, the concrete wall enclosing the piles can be built, with time allowed to allow the concrete to cure or set. The sheer scale of these works is why we need to have the road closed for this amount of time, a safety zone is required around the piling rig.