Clingoe Hill Colchester diversion route closure through A137 concerns

Clinghoe Hill has been closed overnight for roadworks with traffic being diverted along the A137.

One Ardleigh resident branded the diversion as "unfair" and said it was another kick in the teeth for the village added to increased bank holiday traffic to noisy HGVs.

Clingoe Hill, which connects Colchester and Wivenhoe, has been closed for two nights while Essex Highways carries out work to repair potholes.

Last summer, residents expressed concerns over an A12 diversion, which saw traffic from Marks Tey diverted via the village from 9pm to 6am on week nights, as repairs to the central barriers took place.

Residents now feel angry they will have traffic to contend with over the bank holiday period.

One concerned resident, who has lived in Ardleigh for ten years, said: “I feels like a kick in the teeth that on one of the few days we wouldn’t have diversions, because it is a weekend, we will have a 13 mile diversion through the village for 530m of roadworks.

“It seems like a further punishment to the residents of Ardleigh.

"We will suffer not only from traffic noise, like the rattling suspensions of HGVs and large lorries passing through, but excess traffic also.

“For this particular diversion, there will be a lot of traffic over the Easter weekend, which will impact all of us. It is a lot of traffic pushed down B-roads, when they would normally be quiet.

“It is significant road noise for residents along the route, of which there a lot, and it also increases the risk of accidents and damage to residents' cars parked along these roads, as well as people speeding, which has been an issue on this road.”

A spokesperson for Essex Highways said: “The night closures planned in Clingoe Hill are necessary so essential maintenance works on this key route in Colchester can be completed.

“We apologise for the disruption that will be caused to residents and we will work to minimise this as much as possible.”