A12 Marks Tey roadworks: Driver who tried to skip queue is fined

The motorist was caught on camera moving traffic cones separating two Colchester-bound lanes at Marks Tey earlier this year.

Bemused drivers watch on as she brazenly manoeuvre her green Ford Fiesta through the no man's land between lanes and attempts to join the flowing traffic on Tuesday.

But her daring escape attempt was foiled by a highways worker who was seen berating her and ordering her to reverse back into the left hand lane.

It has now been revealed a 66-year-old woman from south London was issued with a conditional caution.

She was also fined £100, with the money going to a road worker safety charity.

The information was revealed as National Highways launched a national campaign on drivers ignoring roadwork closures. 

Stay where you are – National Highways worker Adam Smith stops a driver trying to dodge a road traffic queue (Image: Social Media)

Andrew Craig, the National Highways worker who confronted the driver trying to cross the A12 central reservation, described the offence as “incredibly dangerous”.

He said: “There had been a collision further up the A12, which was the reason for the congestion.

“I was driving towards the incident to help when I came across the lady moving cones and trying to get her car in a more free-flowing lane.

“Stopping my vehicle to deal with it delayed me getting to the collision and helping those affected.

“It also put me in an incredibly dangerous situation, which was completely avoidable.”

The A12 roadworks, which are costing National Highways close to £37 million, are not expected to be completed until next year.

Statistics from National Highways show 122 roadwork incursions were recorded last year across the east of England region; but in the first five months of 2023, that number has already been surpassed, with 123 roadwork incursions recorded.

Karl Brooks, National Highways’ programme delivery manager in the east region, has issued a warning to drivers who have considered driving through closed sections of road to avoid traffic queues.

He said: “The unpalatable truth is that if this continues, someone is going to be killed.

“Working on the strategic road network is an inherently dangerous place at the best of times, but when road users ignore barriers, signs or cones, they are entering someone else’s workspace with a vehicle, often travelling at high speed.”