The £81m plan to solve rush hour chaos at one of Essex's busiest roundabouts

Traffic bosses have produced an £81m plan to try and solve rush-hour chaos at one of Essex's busiest roundabouts. Thousands of vehicles use the Army and Navy roundabout in Chelmsford but motorists often find themselves caught in traffic during peak hours.

The major five-arm roundabout connects the city centre with Moulsham, Great Baddow, Chelmer Village and Essex Yeomanry Way for motorists wanting to access the A12 or south Essex. Traffic experts estimate up to 70,000 vehicles used the junction before the pandemic and fear the situation could get worse in the future without taking action.

Plans have been produced to transform the busy roundabout into one with a 'hamburger' style. The plans are set to be approved by Essex County Council and are currently subject to securing final funding.

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Anyone who lives or works in Chelmsford will probably have experienced some of the delays that can be found at the Army and Navy roundabout. New plans could completely change how it looks whilst also encouraging safer, greener and healthier ways of transport.

About 10,000 vehicles used the flyover prior to it's permanent closure in September 2019 after safety concerns. Between it's closure and the pandemic an estimated 70,000 vehicles used the junction making it one of Essex's busiest.

But the new roundabout, which would have a road through the centre of it, is thought to be a long-term and sustainable solution for everyone. The roundabout will predominantly have three lanes around the circulatory, while there will be two lanes in each direction on the road through the middle of central island between Parkway and Essex Yeomanry Way. A signalised left-turn slip road will be created between Chelmer Road and Essex Yeomanry Way.

A similar style roundabout can be found at Headington (Green Road) in Oxford whilst there were plans paused in Gloucestershire after a negative response. Critics of the Chelmsford scheme have said the £81m funding is "very strange" due to alternative areas suffering "with far worse congestion".

Modelling from Essex County Council estimates the average journey time for motorists would be reduced by more than half (53%) and bus journeys would be about 40 per cent faster on average. There would also be benefits to cyclists and pedestrians whose journey times would be 44 per cent and 11 per cent quicker respectively.

Based on the current programme, which assumes the necessary land needed for the project can be obtained through negotiations with the owners, construction is expected to start in 2027. It is expected to be completed in 2029.

The huge package includes not just a transformation of the junction but also walking and cycling improvements. It also features a 350-space expansion of Sandon Park and Ride and a 500-space expansion of Chelmer Valley Park and Ride. The £81m project is being financed from a £68.7m Government contribution, £8.1m of Essex County Council borrowing and £4m of Community Infrastructure Levy contributions from Chelmsford City Council.

Local politicians have highlighted the importance of the scheme. Marie Goldman, the Lib Dem MP for Chelmsford, said: "The Army and Navy is a major junction in the heart of Chelmsford. Not only should its redevelopment improve car journey times, but the sustainable travel improvements for walking, cycling and buses are crucial to helping Chelmsford residents travel safely by alternative means. I hope the new government will recognise the importance of this infrastructure and ensure that it eventually receives the funding it needs to go ahead."

Councillor Lesley Wagland OBE (Cons.), Essex County Council’s Deputy to the Deputy Leader with principal accountabilities on Major Infrastructure Projects and Freeports, added: “The Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package will deliver enormous benefits; improving journey times for buses, pedestrians, cyclists and general traffic, reducing delays and supporting economic growth in the area. It will also help provide better options for people to travel in and around the city, especially for shorter journeys where we want walking or cycling to be the natural choice.

“While we recognise the government has commissioned a review of all current and future Department for Transport-funded projects, we are as committed as ever to delivering this transformational scheme as soon as possible. The Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package has a very good business case and it remains a vitally important project for Chelmsford, Essex and the wider region.”