Road strategies

This page contains the main road strategies and policies adopted by Essex County Council for managing the Highways network.


Essex Walking Strategy

This document contains the Essex Walking Strategy.

Cover of 2021 Essex Walking Strategy

Highways Annual Plan

Sets out Essex Highways' approach to managing the network in Essex

Cover of Highway Authority Annual Plan 2024-25 

Highways and Transportation Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Plan (HIAMP)

Cover of Highway and Transportation Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Plan (HIAMP)

Highways and Transportation Asset Management Strategy

Highways and Transportation Asset Management Policy

Essex Highways Summary Communication Strategy

Essex County Council maintains a vast network of roads, over 5,000 miles in total length, together with a footway network of 4,000 miles (including footways shared with cycleways), and 4,000 miles of public rights of way. In addition there are over 1,500 highway structures and 128,000 street lighting columns, and other asset groups such as highway drainage, vehicle restraint systems, traffic signals and traffic signs. Essex County Council recognises the vital role that its highway network plays in the lives of residents, as well as the travelling public and local businesses. Effective asset management of the highway network and its infrastructure is fundamental in supporting the Council’s Vision of Essex being a county where innovation brings prosperity, and in contributing to the Council’s Corporate Outcomes. This represents a significant maintenance commitment and requires a robust approach to asset management. The Asset Management Policy and Strategy is at the heart of highways investment planning, budget setting and delivery of the Highways and Transportation service, and is described in the two documents above.

Highways and Transportation Asset Management Strategy
Cover of Essex Highways Asset Management Policy
Cover of Essex Highways Summary Communications Strategy
Essex Highways Skid Resistance Strategy
Essex Highways Vehicle Restraint System Strategy
Essex Highways Road/Rail incursion Strategy
Essex Highways Decarbonisation Strategy
Essex Highways Strategy for Managing Green Estate

Highway Authority Enforcement Policy - March 2015

An explanation of how we prioritise the enforcement of encroachments, obstructions and unlawful interference with the highway to protect the use and enjoyment of the highway for the public.

Cover of Highway Authority Enforcement Policy
Cover of Highway Authority Weight Restriction Order Enforcement Policy

Highways Maintenance Policy and General Principles - 2019

Essex County Council has a statutory duty to maintain the public highway to a reasonably safe standard. In order to comply with this duty we have developed the Highways Maintenance Policy and General Principles. This sets out how the highway will be maintained. 


Highway Maintenance and Inspection Strategies

These documents support the overarching Highways Maintenance Policy and General Princliples (above). They set out and describe the service levels relating to our risk-based approach to managing how we organise, inspect and maintain our main asset groups.

Cover of the Maintenance and Inspections Strategy, Carriageways, Footways and Cycleways - July 2019 
Cover of the Maintenance and Inspections Strategy, Public Rights of Way (PRoW) - April 2022 
Cover of the Maintenance and Inspections Strategy, Structures - July 2019
Cover of the Maintenance and Inspections Strategy, Street Lighting - February 2021
Cover of the Maintenance and Inspections Strategy, Winter - February 2021
Cover of the Maintenance and Inspections Strategy, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) - February 2021

Speed Management Strategy

This strategy is designed for use by all those involved in Speed Management to offer clear and consistent parameters for the setting of speed limits in Essex.


Traffic Management Strategy

This document contains Essex County Council’s Traffic Management Strategy for Essex roads for the next 20 years.