News releases and highways newsletters

Essex streetlights to stay on for Christmas and New Year celebrations

Lights will remain on from 1am until dawn, helping residents celebrate festive season safely.

Streetlights across Essex will remain on throughout the night over the Christmas and New Year period.

The move will help keep residents safe at a time of year when they are more likely to be travelling later at night.

£300,000 highways winter damage repair plan launched

Essex County Council has allocated funding as part of preparations for winter conditions on the roads.

£300,000 will be invested in repairing damage caused by the winter weather on the roads across Essex.

Roads are more likely to become damaged over winter due to rain, ice and snow causing cracks on the surface. The investment will help keep the roads safe in inclement weather.

The repairs will be carried out through the Members’ Highways Initiative, with two dedicated crews carrying out repairs between January and March.

Update: Bakers Lane - Phase Two

The Phase one works between the Bakers Lane junction with St Johns Road and the Roundabout with Cottis Lane are now complete, with this section of carriageway and footway being open for pedestrians and vehicular traffic to use for access to car parks, properties, and businesses located on Cottis Lane.  

Transport improvements support major step forward for garden community

Essex County Council says road and rail improvements are vital as thousands more homes are built as part of the Chelmsford Garden Community.

Following Chelmsford City Council’s planning committee approval of two new housing zones and a major new road for the development on Monday evening, the county council has hailed it as a prime example of how an ‘infrastructure first’ approach accelerates housing delivery.

Essex County Council has supported economic growth and high-quality housing development in Garden Communities for almost a decade. In Chelmsford, the council secured £218 million Homes England investment for new infrastructure. This includes Beaulieu Park Station, which opened in October, and the first section of the Chelmsford North East Bypass, which is currently being constructed.

Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader of Essex County Council and Cabinet Member for Communities, Economic Growth and Prosperity, described the Garden Community as one of the most significant housing developments in the country.

She emphasised the importance of putting new infrastructure in place ahead of new housing. This helps ensure residents are well connected to opportunities in Essex and to mitigate the impacts on existing residents.

Fifth Avenue – Zelenskyy Avenue - Harlow Sustainable Transport Corridor

Fifth Avenue – Zelenskyy Avenue A1019

On behalf of Essex County Council, Bouygues UK Ltd are undertaking essential works on Fifth Avenue – Zelenskyy Avenue A1019 as part of the Harlow Sustainable Transport Corridor project.

As a result of these works, nighttime road closures will take place on Fifth Avenue – Zelenskyy Avenue A1019 in both directions between the Burnt Mill Roundabout and the Sainsbury’s Roundabout. These closures will take place on two nights, at the following dates and times:

Highways Highlights - October 2025

The October edition of Highways Highlights has now been published.

The newsletter for all things highway in Essex.

In this edition:

and more…

Update - Resurfacing works Bakers Lane, Epping

Works to complete the carriageway resurfacing for the section of Bakers Lane from junction with St John’s Road, to the roundabout junction with Cottis Lane, is being undertaken between 20:00 to 00:00 on Tuesday 16 December 2025

Burnt Mill Roundabout Essential Works - Harlow Sustainable Transport Corridor

On behalf of Essex County Council, Bouygues UK Ltd are undertaking essential works on the Burnt Mill Roundabout as part of the Harlow Sustainable Transport Corridor project. As part of these works, each of the following junctions on the Burnt Mill Roundabout are due to close on the following dates/times:

·       Saturday 6^th December 2025 between 7am and 8pm

·       From 8pm on Friday 12^th December until 5am on Monday 15th December 2025

Nightly from 8pm until 5am, on Tuesday 9th, Wednesday 8th, Thursday 9^th of December 2025

Nightly from 8pm until 5am, on Tuesday 16th, Wednesday 17th, Thursday 18th, Friday 19^th of December 2025

Historic culvert refurbished beneath Loughton High Street

The 150-year-old underground structure has been successfully refurbished.

The historic Traps Culvert in Loughton has been given a new lease of life thanks to innovative engineering works completed by Essex Highways.

The 150-year-old culvert had become damaged over time, with cracks, missing bricks and a utility intrusion running through, meaning repairs were essential.

The culvert sits directly under a busy high street, meaning traditional repair methods that involved excavating the road weren't possible.

Postponed: Fifth Avenue - Zelenskyy Avenue road closure

The nighttime road closure due to take place on Fifth Avenue – Zelenskyy Avenue A1019 on 22 and 23 November in both directions between the Burnt Mill Roundabout and the Sainsbury’s Roundabout has been postponed due to inclement weather.

We will advise of the new dates in due course.