The Essex roads where drivers face the worst traffic delays

Drivers on a busy road in Chelmsford city centre face an average of more than two minutes of delays per mile according to new figures. Motorists using the A1099 in Chelmsford faced an average delay of 155 seconds per mile in 2023.

Elsewhere in Essex, the A1168 in Loughton had the second-longest delays with an average of 89.6 seconds per mile. Meanwhile the A1019 in Harlow had the third-longest average delays with motorists held up 79.7 seconds per mile.

The A1099 in Chelmsford is the arched bridge road that connects Springfield Road and Parkway in the city centre. It's a hugely busy road connecting roads close to Bond Street and the Riverside Retail Park with Parkway, a road often described as Chelmsford's artery road.

READ MORE: The unassuming Essex seaside town named among the best places for a staycation

READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing and TOWIE star Pete Wicks shares his favourite place to eat and drink in Essex

Over in Loughton the A1168 is not far from Debden underground station, on the Central Line, meaning it can often be busy with commuters during rush hour. The New City College and East 15 Acting School is also nearby alongside lots of shops and businesses too.

The A120 connects Bishop's Stortford on the Essex-Hertfordshire border with Marks Tey near Colchester. It had the fourth-highest average delays in 2023 with 75.8 seconds per vehicle per mile.

According to the data, the busiest area of the A12 is northbound within the A120 near Colchester (west) junction. Motorists there faced 66.5 seconds of delays per mile. That's compared to A12 southbound at a minor junction between B1002 and A1023 where the delays were just 3.5 seconds per vehicle per mile in 2023.

The data was released by the Department for Transport and shows the areas of the county where motorists face the longest delays on all A-roads and motorways. The new figures were released on Thursday, October 3 and do not include B-roads or other streets.