Colchester Rapid Transit

Cowdray Avenue bus layby works

09/02/2026

Progress Update

As part of ongoing investment to improve public transport across the city, works will shortly begin to upgrade the westbound Cowdray Avenue bus layby (opposite The Range).

These improvements are being delivered as part of Colchester’s Rapid Transit System (RTS) project. The works will create a larger bus layby to accommodate additional future bus services, alongside a widened footway to improve accessibility and ease of movement for pedestrians and bus passengers.

Construction is scheduled to start on 16 February and is expected to take approximately six weeks. To minimise disruption, works will be carried out overnight on weekdays.

Latest update

Work on the Clingoe Hill section of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) has been completed on schedule. The project has delivered a new dedicated bus lane, pedestrian crossing point, and cycle path along the north side of Clingoe Hill (A133).

Before the new lane can be formally introduced as a restricted bus lane, a legal process known as a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) must be completed. Essex County Council is currently progressing this process, which is expected to be finalised in Feb/March.

Once the TRO is in place, the temporary cones will be removed and existing bus services will be able to use the new lane.

What is the Rapid Transit System?

The RTS lanes on Northern Approach and Clingoe Hill, and the new A120-A133 Link Road (A1331) form part of package of transport infrastructure being delivered to support the new Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community development near the University of Essex. To enable this development to proceed, Essex County Council, working alongside Colchester City Council and Tendring District Council, successfully secured £100million of Government Housing Infrastructure Funding, to deliver infrastructure ahead of the creation of new homes.

As part of the Government funding agreement, the RTS infrastructure needed to be delivered in line with a funding deadline of March 2026, and we would like to thank residents and road users for their patience while these works were carried out.

The new infrastructure, alongside signal prioritisation and bus stops (called halts), will initially be used by Park and Ride and local bus services, with rapid transit services coming into operation in line with the delivery of new homes.

Looking ahead, as part of its upcoming planning application, the Garden Community developer, Latimer, will set out their transport strategy. This will include details of the RTS services they are required to provide and how these services will develop over time as the new community grows.

Rapid transit in Colchester

As a thriving, growing city, providing high-quality public transport solutions will help better connect us with the key destinations we need to reach, offering a broader range of transport options.

The RTS will travel from the A12 Park and Ride to the University of Essex and the new Garden Community due to be developed close by. With stops along its route and the ambition to deliver services every few minutes, this will connect new and existing residents with key destinations including the hospital, railway stations, city centre and university.

With priority measures, modelling indicates that, once operational, the rapid transit will provide a 35% journey time saving when travelling between the park and ride and the city centre and 20% between the university and the city centre.

Northern Approach

Along Northern Approach plans for a rapid transit corridor were first granted planning permission in 2006, with an initial design created in 2012.

Forming part of the new Colchester Rapid Transit system, Colchester City Council approved a revised design in 2022. This saw the transit lane moved further from properties, and the addition of walking and cycling facilities.

The new facilities opened to existing services in October 2025.

Image of colchester rapid transit from an aerial viewpoint looking south — View looking south along Northern Approach Road

Image of colchester rapid transit from an aerial viewpoint looking north — View looking north along Northern Approach Road

Clingoe Hill A133

Once operational the new rapid transit lane will help improve journey time reliability by enabling services to bypass traffic along this section of the route. New walking and cycling facilities will also provide links between the future Garden Community development and the city's existing walking/cycling network.

The facilities are due to open to existing services in early 2026.

Works on Rapid Transport Section C, Clingoe Hill

Cowdray Avenue

Works will be taking place to upgrade the westbound Cowdray Avenue bus layby (opposite The Range). These improvements will see a larger bus layby created to accommodate additional future bus services, alongside a widened footway to improve accessibility and ease of movement for pedestrians and bus passengers.

Construction is scheduled to start on 16 February and is expected to take approximately six weeks. To minimise disruption, works will be carried out overnight on weekdays.

During working hours, there will be a westbound lane closure, and the speed limit will be temporarily reduced to 30mph. The affected section of footway and the bus layby will remain closed for the duration of the works.

Got a question?

If you have a question about rapid transit, the proposals for Colchester or any of the specific scheme works, please do not hesitate to contact the project team by emailing rapidtransit@essexhighways.org