Cowdray Bridge, A133 Cowdray Avenue, Colchester

About the works

Arrangements have been made to carry out structural repairs to Cowdray Bridge which carries A133 Cowdray Avenue over the Colchester to Clacton main railway line in Colchester.  

Defects were identified during the recently completed Ipswich Road/Harwich Road scheme when footpath works exposed hidden damage. Some initial repairs were carried out at the time and it is now time to complete structural repairs.

We have now been granted permission by Network Rail to carry out the works which will be managed by Eurovia on behalf of Essex Highways. Activities will begin on Monday 7 June 2021 and are expected to continue until the end of August 2021. 

As a traffic sensitive site, efforts will be being made to keep disruption to a minimum although lane reductions will be needed on Ipswich Road Roundabout between Ipswich Road South and Cowdray Avenue during the first phase of works. This will ensure the safe separation of pedestrians and the workforce from passing vehicles.  

What is involved and how it may affect you

Structural repairs will start from 7 June 2021 and are expected to run until 27 August 2021.

During the first phase of the works an additional lane closure will be required at Ipswich Road Roundabout between Ipswich Road South and Cowdray Avenue. One lane of traffic will be maintained on the roundabout however we will look to reopen lanes as soon as it is safe and practical to do so. We envisage lifting the lane restrictions by the end of July if the work programme allows.  

Working hours will be between 8am and 5pm however lane restrictions will be required for the full 24 hour period for the safety of the public and to protect the working area. 

We encourage drivers to plan their journeys, and to allow additional travelling time if passing through the area, taking particular care to observe lane restrictions and traffic management in place.  

Bus operators have been informed of the roadworks so that adjustments can be made to their services if required. 

Additional works

The temporary fencing initially installed to prevent access and protect pedestrians from the overhead lines remains necessary, but has become unsightly and is in poor repair over the years. Therefore Essex County Council has agreed a suitable long-term permanent replacement with Network Rail which will be more aesthetically suited to the location, while still providing the necessary protection required.

We are pleased to update that we will undertake improvements to the fencing as part of the bridge repairs.

Further information 

A News Release was issued on 1 June 2021 providing additional information on the Cowdray Bridge works.

Please note that the programme may be subject to change if affected by poor weather or if unexpected issues arise.

We aim to keep residents and businesses updated via this webpage and site signage.  

Please be aware that unrelated works are scheduled to begin on the Cowdray Avenue Service Road from 12 July 2021 to improve the drainage.  These works will take approximately 20 days to complete and involve a series of temporary road closures on sections of the service road only.  More information can be found on one.network, including a letter which refers to sections of the service road to be closed.  These drainage improvements are not expected to have any impact on works being carried out at Cowdray Bridge.

For details about other roadworks in the area please visit: one.network or the @essexhighways twitter feed.