News releases and highways newsletters

Next steps for safer, greener, healthier travel in Chelmsford: listening to residents

Essex County Council (ECC) recently asked recently for residents’ thoughts on a series of active travel proposals for Brentwood, Braintree, Colchester, Chelmsford and Wickford.  The proposals focused on making it safer, greener and healthier to walk and cycle as well as reduce congestion and air pollution across the county.

Consultation responses from around the county are still being analysed, but ECC is now able to publish the draft results on the proposals for Chelmsford.  These were shared today (28th July) with the Chelmsford Active Travel Steering Group and Members of Chelmsford City Council.

A number of the broader active travel objectives were positively received, but early indications from the 1,152 responses submitted (including emails and letters) show that the Moulsham ‘quartering’ proposals do not have widespread support.

ECC staff and Essex Highways engineers will now work closely with interested parties on developing revised recommendations to improve walking and cycling.  The Steering Group will also be considering what further engagement with residents could take place before the statutory consultation (TRO) is launched in the autumn.

M11 overnight closures planned for August

M11 in Essex to close for four nights to allow new junction work

The M11 will be closed between Junction 7 (Harlow) and Junction 8 (Bishops Stortford/ Stansted Airport) for four nights this August as part of the ongoing M11 Junction 7A works.

The closure will be in place from Monday 2nd August for four nights between 9pm and 5am.

This is to enable the removal of temporary supports to the new overbridge installed in June and the installation of new motorway sign structures which span the carriageway.

Cllr Lesley Wagland OBE, Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning at Essex County Council, said: “Work on this critical new junction remains on schedule as we reach another important moment in the scheme. “

Essex Highways surfaces 110 miles of road in 2021

Essex Highways’ crews have surfaced over 110 miles of road, the equivalent of a journey across Essex from border to coast and back, in the seven months of 2021 so far.

Essex Highways’ crews have surfaced over 110 miles of road, the length of a return journey from West Mersea to Harlow, in the seven months of 2021 so far.

Crews used a variety of different surfacing techniques appropriate to each road section.

Various processes were used, including:

• Fast Coverage Surface Dressing, where machines quickly cover the road with sticky “binder” tar layer and then spread stones on top
• Intensive micro-surfacing which is finished by hand
• Full resurfacing where heavy machines grind off the existing road surface and the crew then lay new asphalt.

Councillor Lee Scott, Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport, said: “This is good news for drivers and cyclists in Essex that despite COVID-19 restrictions and tighter budgets, we’ve still managed to keep to so much of our road surfacing programme, with positive effects for years to come.

“Our engineers carefully inspect and record the condition of all our roads, and plan surfacing with the right technique according to how worn, how busy and how fast the road is.

Tindal Square latest update

The detailed designs for Tindal Square are complete and the project is now out to tender. 

A decision will be made by Chelmsford City Council Cabinet in the autumn and, subject to successful bids, a contractor will be appointed.    

Rain Gardens, created for first time in Essex, to reduce flooding and improve the environment in a Canvey Road

£260k joint Rain Garden partnership project works with nature to protect homes and improve environment

Park Avenue, Canvey, is the first road in Essex to have new “rain gardens” installed, a £260k joint project between Essex County Council and Anglian Water aiming to reduce local flood risk and improve the environment.

Verges on Park Avenue have now been turned into attractive rain gardens housing drainage material, plants and soil which will retain water and allow it slowly to soak away. This holds surface water away from the road and people’s homes.

A “swale” (a shallow, grassy channel) has been installed in the greenspace nearby which will also capture surface water from the highway. A wooden footbridge crosses the swale to maintain access to the greenspace during very wet periods.

Oasis Bridge – Change in traffic management

The jacking and de-jacking on the north side of the bridge was completed on Tuesday 6 July 2021. We are preparing for the next phase of works and will be making a change to the traffic management arrangements.

Oasis Bridge – Overnight road closure

Due to unforeseen circumstances, it has been necessary to amend the works programme and reschedule the overnight road closure planned for Monday 5 July 2021.   

Safer, Greener, Healthier: Essex takes the first step towards a better bus network

Essex County Council and Essex bus operators to join forces in Enhanced Partnership to transform the bus network

Essex has taken the first step in a long-term strategy to transform its bus network by working with bus operators to enable them to provide more buses and better services, to help people make sustainable transport choices.

Essex County Council and Essex bus operators will work together to develop a package of measures which will transform the bus network over the coming years, with a long-term goal to grow the county network, reduce carbon and air quality emissions from car traffic as well as reducing congestion, supporting jobs and the local economy and making our communities better places to live.

Using the Bus Services Act 2017, Essex County Council will create an Enhanced Partnership in Essex.

Public Rights of Way Coronavirus Update

Due to a higher than normal volume of enquiries currently being raised regarding our Public Rights of Way network we are currently prioritising safety related issues for inspection. Please be aware that all non-safety related reports will be addressed as resources become available.

Highways Highlights - June 2021

The June 2021 edition of Highways Highlights has now been published.

The newsletter for all things highway in Essex.

In the June 2021 edition:

• LEDs ARE GO!
• New Councillor? Welcome to Essex Highways!
• To help make things click... 

and more...