Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package
The Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package is an unmissable opportunity to re-design the Army and Navy junction - a crucial gateway to Chelmsford – while also providing better options for people to travel and encouraging safer, greener, and healthier ways of getting around the city.
By delivering a comprehensive package of measures that encourage increased walking, cycling and Park and Ride travel, alongside an improved Army and Navy junction, we can provide a long-term and sustainable solution, improving journeys for everyone.
Consultation
Having thoroughly assessed a number of potential junction layouts and sustainable transport improvements, we asked you to help shape the final scheme by taking part in our public consultation.
The eight-week public consultation was open from Monday, 9 August 2021 until Sunday, 3 October 2021.
The proposals we consulted on included:
- Two junction options – a Hamburger Roundabout (a roundabout with a road through the centre of it) and Separate T-junctions
- A 350-space expansion of Sandon Park and Ride
- A new Park and Ride site in Widford (two site options were considered)
- Wider connectivity improvements across the walking and cycling networks
Thank you to everyone who attended our consultation events and participated in the public consultation. We analysed your responses to the consultation and published a consultation report in March 2022. The report can be found in the documents section of this page.
Preferred option and revised package
Having been updated on the public consultation feedback and latest option assessment analysis, the Army and Navy Task Force recommended the Hamburger Roundabout was identified as the preferred junction option in December 2021.
In March 2022, Essex County Council’s Cabinet formally approved the Hamburger Roundabout as a preferred option. The decision came after public consultation results showed the majority of respondents favoured the hamburger roundabout option. Latest analysis also showed it performed better from a business case and performance perspective, with good average journey time improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, buses and motorised vehicles.
It has also been announced that the proposed Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package will now include a 500-space expansion of the existing Chelmer Valley Park and Ride, instead of a new Park and Ride site in Widford, because of the significant construction costs and greater financial risks with operating any new Park and Ride site, particularly following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Essex County Council would still like develop a new Park and Ride site to the west of Chelmsford and hope to be able to take that forward as part of a different project in the future.
The revised Army and Navy Sustainable Package therefore includes:
- A new Hamburger Roundabout junction layout
- A 350-space expansion of Sandon Park and Ride
- A 500-space expansion of Chelmer Valley Park and Ride
- Wider connectivity improvements across the walking and cycling networks leading to and from the Army and Navy junction
Hamburger Roundabout
Resembling the look of a hamburger, this type of roundabout has a main road running through it. Traffic would be able to travel straight through the centre of the junction between Essex Yeomanry Way and Parkway. Other movements would be made using the roundabout, with traffic signals used to manage flows and priority.
A left-turn slip road would be created between Chelmer Road and Essex Yeomanry Way.
The proposed design includes significantly improved walking and cycling facilities at ground-level at the junction, replacing the current subway and creating attractive, safe and accessible routes. Fully segregated cycle lanes and direct crossings are proposed, in line with Department for Transport’s latest guidance. Optimised signal timings would help ensure that pedestrians and cyclists can travel across the junction safely and quickly.
New bus lanes and bus priority measures would be added on Parkway and existing measures would be maintained on Essex Yeomanry Way and into the junction.
Following additional refinements to planned signal timings, alongside post-consultation design changes, we have been able to enhance estimated journey time improvements for the majority of modes of transport travelling through the junction.
The latest modelled journey time improvements for the Hamburger Roundabout are:
- Average journey times for cyclists will be 42% quicker
- Bus journey times will be about 38% faster on average
- Journeys will be 53% quicker on average for motorised vehicles
- Walking through the junction at ground level will be about 10% quicker
The series of visualisations below show you how the junction would look and work from the perspectives of different users. Using estimated future traffic levels at morning and evening peak times and our pre-consultation design, the videos allow you to experience realistic journeys through the junction as a pedestrian, cyclist and bus passenger.
The overview video also describes how it would work, highlighting key features and summarising the journey time improvements for different transport users*
*The visualisations were based on the latest designs prior to the public consultation in August 2021, however, the statistics have now been updated to reflect the latest predicted jounrey time improvements following post-consultation design changes and refinement to traffic signal timings.
Concept images
Revised layout proposed for Van Diemans Road
Following feedback, a revised layout is now being proposed for Van Diemans Road.
Under the option included in the consultation, a two-way segregated cycleway was proposed on the eastern side of Van Diemans Road and the existing lanes for general traffic were to be maintained (notably, with two lanes northbound/on the approach to the Army and Navy junction). To provide space to accommodate this, it was proposed that existing permit parking bays in Van Diemans Road would be removed.
However, following concerns raised during the consultation and a site visit with residents and the local Essex County Council member in September 2021, a revised layout of Van Diemans Road is now proposed. Additionally, in response to the site visit with residents and the proposed revised layout of Van Diemans Road, four potential options to improve the Lady Lane junction have also been developed and are being considered.
Under the latest proposals for Van Diemans Road, there would be one northbound lane for general traffic (flaring to two at the Army and Navy junction) and a two-way cycleway on the western side of Van Diemans Road, with the existing permit parking bays on Van Diemans re-aligned but retained.
The revised proposals would enable walking and cycling improvements to be made, while slight amendments to the design of the hamburger roundabout and changes to signal timings mean there would still be good peak period journey time improvements for private vehicles on Van Diemans Road. During the evening peak period, journey times would be virtually unchanged from those with the two-lane layout presented at the public consultation and they would actually be improved during the morning peak time.
No final decisions have been made on the potential Lady Lane junction options, and both the revised Van Diemans Road layout and potential Lady Lane junction options remain subject to road safety audits.
Virtual meetings were held on Wednesday 26 January 2022 and Monday 31 January 2022 to update residents. The meeting presentation and a list of the questions raised can be found in the documents section of this page.
Although the revised Van Diemans Road layout and potential Lady Lane junction options are not part of any further formal consultation, the project team will continue to engage residents and partners as the options/proposals are refined and the scheme is developed further.