A120 to A133 Link Road | Essex County Council

Project update - A1331 Link Road

08/04/2025

Progress Update

Octavius Infrastructure, the contractor delivering the A1331 Link Road, have recently published their first project newsletter.

In it, they detail the works that have taken place so far, introduce the project team, set out the next steps of the project and explain their approach to sustainability. A section on upcoming road closures is also included.

Supporting future growth

In 2019, Essex County Council successfully bid for funding to help support planned housing growth across the county.

The council's bids to the Government's Housing Infrastructure Fund totalled more than £500 million, covering vital transport infrastructure improvements in Colchester, Harlow and Chelmsford.

To support sustainable planned growth, there is a need for high-quality transport infrastructure. This will help manage additional traffic and enhance the connectivity of future developments, as well as supporting public transport improvements.

The A1331 will enable important new homes and businesses to be developed to the east of Colchester as part of the 'Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community' development

Delivered in two phases, in line with the new development, the first phase of the new A1331 is being funded through the Goverment's Housing Infrastructure Fund and is due to be completed in 2026.

To keep up to date as the scheme progresses, please sign up to receive our newsletter. For any queries, please contact the project team by email at a1331@essexhighways.org.

A1331 - Phase one

Linking the A120 and A133 will enable people to access the A120 and A12 more easily, reducing the need to travel directly into Colchester and helping to manage congestion on local roads.

The A1331 will also help to unlock land to provide housing, business and leisure space.

There will be approximately 25,000 new homes built within Tendring and Colchester by 2033, including the new Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community. This development will see 7,500 - 9,000 new homes as well as business, leisure and recreational spaces created over the coming decades.

Ultimately forming part of the Garden Community, as it develops, the A1331 wIll create easier links to the wider road network, while also providing a connection to the new Colchester Rapid Transport System.

Octavius Infrastructure has now been appointed by Essex County Council to deliver Phase 1 of the A1331. These works have now begun, and once complete phase one of the A1331 will be the first piece of infrastructure to directly support the future delivery of the new Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community.

The first phase of the new A1331 link road will provide three new roundabouts as future access to the new garden community.

The first new roundabout will be found on the A133 to the east of the University of Essex. Works on the new roundabout are expected to last approximately 9 months and are currently scheduled to be completed in Spring 2025. To enable the construction works, the eastbound and westbound A133 carriageways have been reduced to a single lane in this area and a temporary 40mph speed limit introduced for the duration of the construction period. For more information on the phasing of construction for this first roundabout, and any involved traffic management, please see Octavius’ A133 Roundabout Construction Sequence document.

After the completion of this new A133 roundabout, two additional roundabouts will be constructed further north at Tyre Road and Allen’s Farm. A new 1.8km dual carriageway road (A1331 Phase 1) will then be built to link these together. This is currently expected to be complete and operational in Spring 2026.

Please see below for a diagram of the planned A1331 Phase 1.

A1331 Phase 1 - Works so far

Octavius Infrastructure initial works on the A1331 are progressing well.

The central reservation on the A133 has been removed. This has allowed the traffic lanes to be realigned which will help mitigate any impacts on traffic in the area caused by the construction of the new A133 roundabout.

Elsewhere, the site compound has now been set up, including welfare areas and safe walking routes.

A series of environmental surveys have also been completed, as have extensive utility diversion works.

A full update on the works to date can be seen in Octavius’ April project newsletter.

A1331 - Phase two

Phase two of the A1331 will be delivered as part of the Garden Community. Once developed it will proved a connection from Phase 1 to a new junction on the A120.

In accordance with adopted planning policy, before any development is permitted at the Garden Community a funding strategy for Phase 2 must be prepared by the developer and approved by the partner councils (Essex County Council, Tendring District Council, and Colchester City Council). This plan-led approach will ensure that infrastructure is brought forward at the right time to support new housing growth.

Scheme timeline

HIF Bid announced – August 2019

Public Consultation – Autumn 2019

Planning Application – Spring 2020/21

Development of Garden Community

Construction Start – Target 2024

First phase completion – Target 2026

Delivery of Phase 2

Rapid Transit System proposals

The successful Housing Infrastructure Fund bid also saw funding provided for the first elements of a new Rapid Transit System for Colchester.

This will see the development of a route running from the existing Park and Ride on the A12, through the town centre, heading east to the Tendring Colchester Garden Community and a proposed new 'Park and Choose' site.

Park and Choose is an evolution of Park and Ride, creating a transport hub for people looking to access other forms of transport. For example, it could offer cycle storage and lockers, electric bikes, connections into the wider bus network as well as parking facilities.

What makes an RTS unlike other public transport is that will see high-frequency (every ten minutes or less) services on segregated or priority corridors, so meaning it takes priority over other traffic.

For more information on the RTS and the ongoing works please visit our Rapid Transit website at www.essexhighways.org/colchester-rapid-transit