Bottleneck should have been eased years go (From Gazette)

Bottleneck should have been eased years go

2:38pm Monday 8th February 2010 in

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At least four days each week I walk from Braiswick into Colchester for my shopping.

This means I negotiate Bergholt Road, the North Station area, Essex Hall roundabout and the Albert roundabout.

During 2009, Essex County Council spent a large sum of council taxpayers’ money modifying these areas, repositioning pedestrian crossings, installing traffic lights and modifying pavements.

This project caused endless delays to all concerned and must have cost an exorbitant amount of money.

But just what has been achieved?

Car drivers seem to play “beat the lights” and speed up on approach to get through the lights before they change to red. This is particularly noticeable with cars from Colne Bank Avenue approaching the Albert roundabout.

What is also noticeable at the Albert roundabout is how car/truck traffic is blocking bus traffic coming from the station up North Station Road.

The most noticeable pavement omission has been the west side under North Station Bridge. This is a narrow pavement, with barely enough access for two people. The run-off water from the railway line is allowed to seep from holes up the brickwork on to the pavement.

Last September, I approached councillor Martin Goss, who raised the matter with Essex County Council’s highways department, whose response was there was no problem.

I responded by pointing out this pavement was wet, dirty and muddy with green algae, and therefore constituted a health and safety hazard. The highways department then accepted there was a hazard and stated the matter would be addressed when funds were available.

Now we read there is a masterplan to address the North Station area problems.

But they can’t even clean up the pavement under North Station Bridge.

The fact is North Station Bridge is a bottleneck that should have been addressed years ago, but has been neglected by all.

Increased housing, cars and services will only put even more pressure on this overburdened bottleneck.

The “authorities” claiming to serve the Colchester public accepted the main hospital, the health centre and walk-in centre, were all to be located north of the railway line, which is not convenient for citizens living south of the railway line.

So the question is now: Is the new masterplan just another hare-brained scheme to allow Essex County Council’s highways department to spend (waste) even more taxpayers’ money and claim what a wonderful job they are doing for Colchester?

Allan Ledwith
Bluebell Way
Colchester