Colchester motorists name the worst roads to drive on in the city

In October, the Gazette revealed how Essex County Council is currently investing less than half of the amount needed to correctly maintain roads, footways and lighting.

According to a budget statement, the authority no longer has enough available money to allocate to fixing potholes plaguing the likes of Colchester.

As a result, the council is now entirely reliant on the Department for Transport’s pothole fund and capital maintenance allocation.

Hundreds of Gazette readers have now had their say on the state of Colchester’s streets, listing the roads they believe to be the worst in the city.

Ann Bluett said: “Ipswich Road’s new roundabout and its lanes are badly laid out – I have almost been hit twice in the last couple of weeks.”

Roads in the Highwoods area of Colchester were also frequently named as being some of the poorest by drivers.

Eastwood Drive, for example, was described as being “dangerous” while Highwoods Approach and Hamlet Drive were branded “dreadful” and “absolutely awful.”

Motorist Sarah Emery added: “Eastwood Drive is collapsing with subsidence – we have nicknamed it the Big Dipper it is so bad.”

Taylor Kat, on the other hand, doesn’t think all that highly of many of the roads in the city, nor the overall structuring of the majority of them.

She said: “If you are talking about the state of roads then nearly every road in Colchester - especially those on a bus route.

“If you are talking about the layout making no sense and people driving like they are the only car on the road then the top of Balkerne Hill roundabout by the police station.

“All three lanes regularly get used to go down Southway cutting people up who are heading across to Maldon Road – it is total shambles and dangerous.”

Essex County Council has been contacted for comment.