Colchester North Station roundabout: Driver goes wrong way again

The Gazette has been passed footage which shows a white Nissan Juke heading the wrong way on the roundabout by the city's station. 

In the video horns can be heard blaring as the car heads towards anxious drivers navigating the road the correct way. 

The potentially dangerous moment occurred last Friday morning shortly after 9.30am.

After dropping his wife off at Colchester Train Station, one motorist caught the incident on dash cam as they headed towards junction and traffic lights that lead to the roundabout.

Awful - an image from the dashcam footage where you can spot the Nissan Juke in the distance (Image: Public) That exact moment is caught in the video, but according to the motorist, the Nissan Juke then “turned across the traffic” and into the train station entrance.

The driver, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I wonder how many more times this is going to have to happen before Essex Highways will realize that the junction and roundabout is a total mess that is unfit for purpose.

“I have yet to find many other sections of road that even come close to the levels of chaos and confusion regularly seen at North Station.

“For people that don’t know the area, it is ridiculously difficult to navigate your way through.

Another of the incidents in June 2023 (Image: Newsquest)

“It’s such a mess that sat nav systems don’t know how to give instructions that people can actually understand.

“It seems that the focus is millions of pounds on a “rapid transit system” on Northern Approach rather than fixing the real problem, which is North Station.

One incident at the junction in October 2023 (Image: James Clarke)

“It has always been the real problem with the road network through Colchester.”

This isn’t the first time a concerning traffic incident has happened in the area.

Tiktok user Dills Dashcam was left “shocked” after a driver turned right at a ‘straight only’ section of the roundabout in April.

It is not the first time he or other drivers have witnessed a similar incident.

The Gazette also reported on four previous incidents of drivers going the wrong way around the roundabout.

One of the incidents in June 2023 (Image: Dills_Dashcam)

Councillor Martin Goss has called for action at the roundabout. He said:  "This is a busy area of Colchester and may look complicated as this junction had the record for most traffic lights on a junction in the UK.

"Essex County Council do need to look at the junction to see what else they can do in order to make it obvious how to navigate this junction."

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “Safety is our first and foremost priority in the maintenance of Essex’s road network.

“We encourage residents concerned about signage or markings to inform their local county councillor. They will then be able to raise any issues for action as needed.

“Residents can also report any defects via the tell us webpage at essexhighways.org/tell-us.

“Once open, Colchester’s new Rapid Transit System will provide a reliable and convenient way to travel, supporting journeys across the city.”