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Work on the first phase of the new A1331 near Colchester is set to get underway in the coming weeks, following the appointment of contractor Octavius Infrastructure.
Having carried out the detailed design work for the scheme, which will ultimately link the A120 and A133, Essex County Council has now appointed the firm to undertake the construction of the first phase of the project.
This will see the creation of a 1.8km dual carriageway road with three junctions. It will run between the A133 to the east of the University of Essex, and the new ‘Allen’s Farm Roundabout’ to the north.
Funding for the scheme comes from a successful £99.9 million Housing Infrastructure Fund bid from Homes England. The funding is also supporting the ongoing delivery of the city’s new Rapid Transit System, which will provide a step change in local public transport provision.
Together, these key first pieces of transport infrastructure will support the new Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community and will enable the first homes to be delivered.
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In 2019, Essex County Council successfully bid for funding to help support planned housing growth across the county.
The council's bids to the Government's Housing Infrastructure Fund totalled more than £500 million, covering vital transport infrastructure improvements in Colchester, Harlow and Chelmsford.
To support sustainable planned growth, there is a need for high-quality transport infrastructure. This will help manage additional traffic and enhance the connectivity of future developments, as well as supporting public transport improvements.
The A1331 will enable important new homes and businesses to be developed to the east of Colchester as part of the 'Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community' development
Delivered in two phases, in line with the new development, the first phase of the new A1331 is being funded through the Goverment's Housing Infrastructure Fund and is due to be completed in 2026.
To keep up to date as the scheme progresses, please sign up to receive our newsletter. For any queries, please contact the project team by email at a1331@essexhighways.org.
Linking the A120 and A133 will enable people to access the A120 and A12 more easily, reducing the need to travel directly into Colchester and helping to manage congestion on local roads.
The A1331 will also help to unlock land to provide housing, business and leisure space.
There will be approximately 25,000 new homes built within Tendring and Colchester by 2033, including the new Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community. This development will see 7,500 - 9,000 new homes as well as business, leisure and recreational spaces created over the coming decades.
Ultimately forming part of the Garden Community, as it develops, the A1331 wIll create easier links to the wider road network, while also providing a connection to the new Colchester Rapid Transport System.
Octavius Infrastructure has now been appointed by Essex County Council to deliver Phase 1 of the A1331.
Phase 1 will begin with the construction of a new roundabout on the A133 to the east of the University of Essex. Works on the new roundabout are expected to take approximately 9 months and are currently scheduled to be completed in Spring 2025. To enable the construction works, the eastbound and westbound A133 carriageways will be reduced to a single lane in this area and a temporary 40mph speed limit introduced throughout the construction period. For more information on the phasing of construction for the new A133 roundabout, and any involved traffic management, please see Octavius’ A133 Roundabout Construction Sequence document.
After the completion of this new A133 roundabout, two additional roundabouts will be constructed further north at Tyre Road and Allen’s Farm. A new 1.8km dual carriageway road (A1331 Phase 1) will then be built to link these together. This is currently expected to be complete and operational in Spring 2026.
Please see below for a diagram of the planned A1331 Phase 1.
The successful Housing Infrastructure Fund bid also saw funding provided for the first elements of a new Rapid Transit System for Colchester.
This will see the development of a route running from the existing Park and Ride on the A12, through the town centre, heading east to the Tendring Colchester Garden Community and a proposed new 'Park and Choose' site.
Park and Choose is an evolution of Park and Ride, creating a transport hub for people looking to access other forms of transport. For example, it could offer cycle storage and lockers, electric bikes, connections into the wider bus network as well as parking facilities.
What makes an RTS unlike other public transport is that will see high-frequency (every ten minutes or less) services on segregated or priority corridors, so meaning it takes priority over other traffic.
For more information on the RTS and the ongoing works please visit our Rapid Transit website at www.essexhighways.org/colchester-rapid-transit
The following documents relate to the purchase of land required to undertake the scheme.
A120 - A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - Confirmed SRO
A120 - A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - Confirmed SRO Plans
A120 - A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - Confirmed SRO Notice
A120 - A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - Public Local Inquiries Notice
A120 - A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - Statement of Case
A120-A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - Statement of Reasons
A120-A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - Scheme Plan
A120-A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - CPO Schedule
A120-A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - CPO Maps
A120-A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - CPO Notice
A120-A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - SRO Schedule
A120-A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - SRO Plans
A120-A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - SRO Notice
A120-A133 Link Road (Phase 1 Southern Section) - A133 Roundabout Construction Sequence
A120 - A133 Vision - PDF(1.0MB)
A120-A133 Link Road Frequently Asked Questions - PDF(212.0KB)
A120 to A133 Link Road and Rapid Transit System - Public Consultation Document - PDF(6.7MB)
A120-A133 Link Road and RTS Consultation Report - PDF(2.2MB)
EIA Scoping Report - PDF(19.9MB)
RTS – Stage One Options Technical Note - PDF(2.1MB)
Appendix A - Stage 1 Options Drawing - PDF(3.0MB)
Appendix B - Section A Northern Approach Road Cross Sections Drawing - PDF(0.9MB)
Appendix C - Technical Note on Consenting Proposed Rapid Transit Route - Section A - PDF(5.5MB)
Appendix D - Stage 1 Section B Options Drawing - PDF(3.7MB)
Appendix E - RTS Section B Option 1 - Hythe Level Crossing - PDF(4.7MB)
Appendix F - RTS Section B Option 2 - East Gates Level Crossing - PDF(4.7MB)
Appendix G - RTS Section B Option 3 - Rail Route - PDF(5.6MB)
Appendix H - RTS Section B Option 4 - Southern Route - PDF(4.7MB)
Appendix I - RTS Section B Option 5 - St Andrews Avenue - PDF(4.7MB)
Appendix J - Section C Option 2 - A133 Clingoe Hill Cross Sections Drawing - PDF(0.6MB)
Appendix K - Environmental Risk Assessment - PDF(5.7MB)
Appendix L - Rapid Transit for North Essex - From Vision to Plan - PDF(3.7MB)
RTS Environment Risk Assessment - PDF(5.3MB)
RTS Section A presentaton - PDF(3.2MB)
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