Colchester – East Hill – Walking and cycling infrastructure improvements
Essex County Council are developing proposals to better connect key points in the city through improved walking and cycling infrastructure.
One of the routes identified through the council’s ‘Local Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan’, LCWIP 4 is an east-west route connecting the city centre to the university and Greenstead and also more widely to the existing National Route 51 and Wivenhoe Trail.
In the future it will also connect to the other LCWIP routes, planned Active Travel proposals to the west (heading west towards Lexden or north to the station) and to the planned Colchester Tendring Garden Community to the east.
This particular scheme was also identified and formed part of Colchester Borough Council’s successful £19.2m Town Deal funding package, recognising its importance in boosting connectivity into and around the city.
Travelling along East Hill, before crossing into the Moors at East Bay and heading to Haddon Park, the Hythe and Greenstead Road, the LCWIP 4 route crosses Colne Causeway, where it will head to the university or through Greenstead.
The first section of the route being designed is on East Hill. To support this, we are currently sharing our plans with the public for feedback. Details on this can be seen at www.essexhighways.org/colchester-walking-and-cycling.
The key elements of the East Hill proposals are:
- The creation of a segregated (separated from pedestrians and cars) cycleway along the length of East Hill.
- The introduction of new bus stops along the route.
- The removal of existing parking along East Hill, with some retained parking proposed close to the church and the introduction of double yellow lines to enable deliveries/ loading and unloading and blue badge holders to park
- The creation of raised sections on side roads to improve accessibility
- New crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists
- A reconfiguration of the Guildford Road junction