Yahoo News 'Hamburger roundabout' costing £81m 'will be built' at Army and Navy junction
A major £81 million project to transform a vital junction in the heart of Chelmsford is set to be given the green light. Essex County Council's plans for the Army and Navy roundabout in the city have been recommended for approval at a planning meeting set for next Friday (November 22).
County Hall has developed the proposed 'Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package' to include a "hamburger roundabout" which will keep the roundabout but also add a road through the centre of it at the junction, which connects Essex Yeomanry Way, the A138, Van Diemans Road and the A1060.
Millions of pounds have already been spent on development after 'severe' safety concerns saw the removal of the flyover on the roundabout in 2019. The recommendation for approval comes two months after fears the plan could be completely scrapped under a government review of commitments to transport projects.
Read more: Almost £11m already spent on Army and Navy roundabout project
As part of the new plans, there will be bus priority measures and walking and cycling improvements at the junction, as well as on the approaches to and from the roundabout. There will be expansions of both the Sandon Park and Ride and Chelmer Valley Park and Ride sites.
In October last year, the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed the outline business case for the project had been approved. It is being funded through the DfT's Major Road Network (MRN) programme.
Three separate planning applications have now been recommended for approval. These include one for the Army and Navy junction and one each for the Park and Ride expansions.
Essex County Council claim the average journey times through the new junction are modelled to be:
44 per cent quicker for people cycling
40 per cent quicker for buses
53 per cent quicker for motorised vehicles
11 per cent quicker for people walking through the junction at ground level
The plans are recommended for approval and must begin construction within the next five years. Lesley Wagland OBE, deputy leader of Essex County Council, said: “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.”
Chelmsford MP Marie Goldman, who mentioned the junction in her first address to the House of Commons after her election this summer, 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.”
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, but will be subject to securing final funding and other processes and approvals, County Hall added.
