COLCHESTER councillors are worried nightmare roadworks are having a negative effect on the air quality.

Mike Hogg and Helen Chuah (Lib Dem) and county councillor John Baker visited Ipswich Road and Harwich Road in Colchester where double mini-roundabouts are being replaced with single ones.

The works have caused traffic mayhem and as a result cars are using St John’s Road as a diversion.

Mike Hogg, who lives in St John’s Road, is worried the extra traffic is causing pollution.

He said: “The knock-on effect of carrying out these works has been the traffic using St John’s Road.

“During a traffic survey we carried out, we counted 1,300 vehicles an hour passed our front door which is staggering.

“That was all sorts of vehicles. We have asked for the environmental officer at Colchester Council whether we can review the air quality figures.”

Air quality figures for St John’s Road do not feature in the latest air quality status report, however, Colchester Council has an air quality action plan in place.

It includes significant investment in pedestrian and cycle facilities, the Love Ur Car driving campaign, and the Colchester Low Emission Bus Project to upgrade ten buses.

An Essex Highways spokesperson said: “The traffic management restrictions we are using are designed for the least possible disruption and generally traffic keeps moving well past the works, which should help reduce the risk of increased pollution.

“In the long-term, of course, because the works are designed to improve the flow of traffic, air quality should improve, so any short-term deterioration will be outweighed by long term improvement.”

Works will stop for Christmas on December 21 and will start again on January 2.

They are then expected to last until the end of the year.