Fresh look at Army and Navy improvements as £81 million project continues to progress

Walking, cycling, bus and Park and Ride improvements will encourage safer, greener and healthier travel

A new video has been shared on plans to transform the Army and Navy junction in Chelmsford.

Essex County Council has developed the planned £81 million Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package. It includes a hamburger roundabout at the city’s Army and Navy junction.

This is a new roundabout with a road through the centre of it, which has been designed to improve traffic flows and reduce congestion at this busy junction.

There will be bus priority lanes, along with walking and cycling improvements at the junction, as well as on the approaches to the junction.

The Sandon Park and Ride site will be expanded to support planned growth and allow more people to use the service to make journeys into the city centre.

However, plans to expand Chelmer Valley Park and Ride site will no longer be taken forwards as part of the project.

The overall costs of the whole project have increased because of construction inflation and other factors.

Removing the expansion of the Chelmer Valley Park and Ride means the rest of the project can progress as quickly as possible and within budget.

Safeguards will remain for the land needed to expand Chelmer Valley Park and Ride, as it may still need expansion in the longer-term.

The Army and Navy project received planning permission in November 2024. In July last year, the Government announced it was one of the road and rail schemes it had approved to go ahead following a national spending review.

The next stage of design work has since completed, and discussions with landowners have been ongoing. Publication of compulsory purchase orders will take place next month in case land needed for the project cannot be negotiated.

A new video, published for the first time today, gives residents a more detailed look at the planned improvements.

Haroona Chughtai, Director of Highways and Transport, said: "The Army and Navy project will completely transform this vital gateway to Chelmsford.

“The scheme will help ease congestion and improve journey times for buses, pedestrians, cyclists and general traffic.

“It will also provide better options for people to travel in and around the city, including improved walking and cycling connections for shorter journeys.

“Our new video gives people a more detailed look at the plans for the junction and connections to and from Great Baddow, Moulsham, Chelmer Village and the city centre.

“Delivering complex infrastructure projects is never easy, but we are being as quick as possible. We are as committed as ever to delivering this transformational scheme.”

Based on current assumptions, construction of the scheme is expected to start in 2028 and complete in 2031. This will be subject to securing final funding approval and other agreements.

For more information about the package and to sign up for the project e-newsletter, visit www.essex.gov.uk/armyandnavy.