TIGHTER speed restrictions are set to be introduced on a busy road and the surrounding residential streets in Colchester in a bid to increase safety and boost sustainable transport use.
Essex County Council is consulting on plans to reduce the speed limit to 20mph along most of Mill Road as well as 25 nearby residential streets in Highwoods.
County Hall says the move will “improve the pedestrian environment” and air quality, whilst also helping reduce the number of crashes in Mill Road, which has become an accident hotspot since 2017.
Highwoods councillor Gerard Oxford said the move had been on the cards for about a decade.
He said: “This goes back an awfully long time.
“We wanted it to happen back when we had a lot of development going on in the north of the ward.
“The idea was to divert people from driving down Mill Road on to Axial Way, Severalls Lane and Via Urbis Romanae, which are more major roads.
“We were told some years ago the county council didn’t have the money to do it but that now seems to have changed.
“It is good news in terms of road safety particularly as Mill Road is used a lot by students coming to the Gilberd School.”
But Mr Oxford said the new rules would need to be policed if they were to be effective.
“The problem is with the nitty gritty of who is going to police it,” he said.
“I am sure they will have to install some traffic calming measures, whether that is speed bumps or chicanes but we haven’t seen that detail yet.”
Cash to implement the changes will come from infrastructure funding from the developments at Northern Gateway where homes, a sports centre and a cinema and leisure complex are being created.
The plans will see the new speed limit introduced in parts of: Antonius Way, Augustus Close, Bedford Road, Brinkley Grove Road, Domitian Close, Hadrian Close, Honorius Drive, Julius Avenue, Marcus Close, Otho Drive, Oxley Parker Drive, Posford Court, Remus Close, Romulus Close, Rudkin Road, Squirrels Field, Stammers Road, Stow Court, Thomas Wakley Close, Thornwood, Titus Way, Trajan Close, Vitllus Close, Parker Road, Matchett Drive and Hale Way.
Here are maps of where the changes are planned:
Residents can view the full plans online at bit.ly/34OAiqH or get a hard copy by calling 07703796401 or 07515999663.
To object, email TrafficRegulation.Order@essexhighways.org, quoting reference TRAF/7440.
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