Colchester Roadworks This Week: Cymbeline Way and A12

Cymbeline Way is due to close either side of Spring Lane roundabout for five days from Thursday 1 October. Openreach is laying ducts there. Essex County Council’s traffic order covers about 100 metres north east of the roundabout and 60 metres south east of it. The signed diversion is via the A133, A1124, A134 and back to the A133.

The St Botolph’s Circus night closures have run their course for now. The full overnight closure of the roundabout on Wednesday 30 September was the last date on Essex Highways’ published schedule, and no further night closures had been announced when we checked on 1 October. On the A12, National Highways now lists one more night closure northbound, on Friday 9 October. Late trains between Witham and Colchester are replaced by buses from 26 to 29 October.

Updated 1 October: St Botolph’s dated closures removed now they have passed, A12 entry changed to the single night National Highways now lists, Cymbeline Way and the October village closures added, and two November Sunday rail closures added.

What is shut now, and what is coming

Road dates come from the traffic orders, which say the dates “may vary” and that the current position is shown on one.network. We could not read one.network today, so treat the start dates as the plan rather than a confirmation that work has begun.

A12 northbound: one more night, Friday 9 October

National Highways’ scheme page now lists a single remaining closure: the A12 northbound between junction 19 (Boreham) and junction 25 (Marks Tey) on Friday 9 October, 9pm to 5am. The page describes it as the final phase of the work, resurfacing sections of Old London Road and refreshing the road markings. The full closure is needed because Old London Road can be reached from the A12 at several points.

That is a change from what the same page said until late September. It previously gave weeknight closures, 9pm to 5am, running from 14 September to Friday 9 October. When we checked on 1 October the weeknight entry had gone and only the Friday night remained. National Highways’ own advice is that “closures can change at short notice”, so check its daily closure report on the night you travel.

The signed diversion leaves the A12 at junction 19, joins the A131 to the A120, and follows the A120 back to the A12 at junction 25, Marks Tey. National Highways does not publish a distance or an expected delay for it.

This is the last part of the A12 Chelmsford to Colchester maintenance scheme, which began on 11 May and covered resurfacing and central reservation work between junctions 20b and 22 and between junctions 24 and 25. The earlier phases were:

• 13 July to 1 August, northbound, junction 19 to junction 22. Finished.
• 10 August to 4 September, southbound, junction 25 to junction 23. Finished.
• 19 to 21 August, southbound, the Kelvedon junction 25 entry slip to Witham junction 21. Finished.

Trains: the main line closes late at night from 26 October

Greater Anglia’s longest closure this autumn is the one most likely to catch people out, because it runs for four nights in a row.

All lines between Witham and Colchester close from Monday 26 to Thursday 29 October for maintenance, late at night and again until 05:00 the next morning. On the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights:

• the 23:48, 00:18 and 00:46 from Liverpool Street to Colchester are replaced by a bus between Witham and Colchester
• the 23:02 Liverpool Street to Ipswich terminates at Colchester. Passengers for Manningtree and Ipswich should change there for the 23:30 Liverpool Street to Norwich.

Early on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, the 04:43 Colchester to Liverpool Street starts from Witham at 05:00 instead. A connecting replacement bus leaves Colchester at 04:10, Marks Tey at 04:26 and Kelvedon at 04:38, reaching Witham at 04:50.

Between now and then, the changes are smaller. From 23:05 on Tuesday 6 October and Tuesday 13 October, main line and Southend Victoria trains take up to 10 minutes longer between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, sharing the open lines with the Elizabeth line. That covers the last trains home to Colchester on those nights. On Sunday 11 and Sunday 18 October the same stretch adds up to 15 minutes until 09:45 and again after 23:05, and trains leave Liverpool Street up to 15 minutes earlier than usual.

The Clacton branch from Colchester has two late-night closures in October:

• Saturday 10 October: the 23:18 Liverpool Street to Clacton-on-Sea is replaced by a bus between Colchester and Clacton.
• Monday 12 to Wednesday 14 October: the 23:18 from Liverpool Street is again replaced by a bus from Colchester, and the 22:56 Colchester to Walton-on-the-Naze is diverted to Clacton, with a connecting bus calling at Kirby Cross, Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze.

Two Sunday closures in November are the bigger ones for day trips:

• Sunday 15 November: buses replace trains between Ipswich and Colchester, and between Manningtree and Harwich Town. Trains still run between Colchester and Liverpool Street.
• Sunday 22 November: buses replace trains between Colchester and Ingatestone for journeys to and from London, and between Colchester and Chelmsford for stops in between. Braintree to Witham and Sudbury to Marks Tey are also bussed, and the Sudbury line closure starts on the Saturday. Greater Anglia says trains keep running between Chelmsford and Liverpool Street, and from Colchester towards Norwich and Clacton-on-Sea.
• Saturday 21 November: the 23:18 Liverpool Street to Clacton-on-Sea is replaced by a bus between Colchester and Clacton.

You can check any travel date on the service alterations calendar.

St Botolph’s: night closures done for now, day work carries on

The roundabout at the bottom of the town is being rebuilt. Essex Highways appointed Jackson Civil Engineering to deliver the £15.2 million St Botolph’s Circus scheme, which shrinks the roundabout, removes the subways and replaces them with signal-controlled crossings on every arm, widens the pavements and adds a plaza on St Botolph’s Street.

Every night closure in Essex Highways’ latest schedule, published on 18 September, has now passed:

• Magdalen Street westbound, weeknights to 22 September. Eastbound had already reopened.
• St Botolph’s Street northbound, weeknights to Friday 25 September. Southbound reopened early.
• Southway eastbound, five weeknights from 22 September, 11pm to 5am.
• St Botolph’s Circus roundabout, closed in full on the night of Wednesday 30 September.

When we checked the Essex Highways news page on 1 October, that 18 September update was still the latest on the scheme. It said the overnight closures “will continue as set out below” and listed nothing beyond 30 September. That does not mean there will be no more. Essex Highways says communications “will be issued ahead of any closure”, so we will add the next round here when it is published.

One detail is worth knowing if you drive through St John’s Street. When diversions run that way the bus gate is suspended and the enforcement cameras are switched off. Outside the night works the bus gate operates as normal and the cameras enforce it.

At the time of that update, work on site was below ground. The subway electrics have been disconnected, trial holes have been dug to trace a deeply buried water main, and drainage is being surveyed with an endoscope. Wooden stakes around the roundabout mark out its new size and shape. Essex Highways says the murals are being taken out of the subways and the subway lighting removed so excavation for the new layout can start, with acoustic barriers used at some locations to cut overnight noise. (Essex Highways, 18 September 2026)

The change for people on foot came earlier. Essex Highways said in its update of 28 August that a temporary pedestrian crossing is now in, and that the subways at St Botolph’s are closed. The contractor may work 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, with occasional night work and advance notice to residents.

Anyone who wants the notices first hand can now email colchestercitycentre@essexhighways.org for updates on both this scheme and East Hill, which replaces the separate St Botolph’s address given earlier in the year. Construction queries go to stbotolphscircus@jackson-civils.co.uk or 07483 602 410, and the scheme runs a WhatsApp channel for live updates.

For drivers, the legal machinery has been in place since the summer. Essex County Council made two temporary traffic orders, Streetworks No.7 and No.8, which took effect from 16 July 2026 and last up to 18 months or until the work is done. Between them they authorise phased closures of:

• St Botolph’s Circus itself, a gyratory closure on all approaches
• A134 Southway eastbound, Headgate to St Botolph’s Circus, about 535m
• A134 Southway westbound, St Botolph’s Circus to Chapel Street South, about 395m
• St Botolph’s Street, about 55m either side of the Osborne Street junction
• St John’s Green, about 80m west of Southway westbound
• Mersea Road, St Botolph’s Circus to Cromwell Road, about 105m
• Magdalen Street, two sections either side of the Military Road junction
• Military Road, Magdalen Street to Golden Noble Hill, about 125m
• Stanwell Street, Osborne Street to Southway eastbound, about 90m
• Osborne Street eastbound lane, Whitewell Road to Vineyard Gate, about 25m

The main signed diversion for the Southway and gyratory closures is the long way round the city: Maldon Road roundabout, A1124, A133, Greenstead roundabout, then the A134 back to Maldon Road roundabout.

These are phased closures released under permit rather than a fixed calendar. The orders tell you what can shut, not what is shut on any given night. The scheme is expected to finish in autumn 2027.

East Hill: kerbs on the south side, stop/go boards off peak

The other city-centre scheme is the East Hill walking and cycling route, part of a longer link between the city centre, the University of Essex, Greenstead and the future Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community. Octavius Infrastructure started work in July 2026.

Essex Highways said on 28 August that the scheme is on schedule, and had not updated that page when we checked on 1 October. Crews are working east of Lewis Gardens along the south side of East Hill, laying new kerb lines and building the bus stop with a widened crossing point. A temporary crossing point is in place while that work runs. Work on the north side is expected to start in early 2027.

The day-to-day arrangement has not changed. Two-way traffic is kept running, with stop/go boards or temporary signals off peak only, between 10am and 3pm. Main construction is 8am to 5pm on weekdays. No road closures are planned during the main build. A short run of overnight weekday closures is expected for the final surfacing in mid-2027, lasting about two to three weeks. The finished route brings a 20mph limit to East Hill.

Other closures around Colchester in October

Essex County Council publishes its temporary traffic orders as statutory notices in the Colchester Gazette. These are the Colchester closures in the notices of 3, 10 and 24 September that fall from now on. Each order says the dates “may vary”, so treat them as the plan.

A second stretch of Park Road at Langham, about 260m south east of Wick Road, is due to close for 12 days from 23 November.

One order to watch if you live on Mersea. Essex County Council has also made a roads order covering The Strood and the whole Mersea Road corridor towards Colchester, about 7km, plus roads through Peldon and the Wigboroughs. It came into force on 17 September and lasts up to 18 months. It does not give dates or say what the work is. It says the roads will close in phases, with dates on one.network and letters to residents beforehand. We will add the dates when they are published.

Event closures: nothing new on the council’s list

Colchester City Council publishes city-centre event closures on its upcoming road closures page. Rechecked on 1 October, every closure on it has already happened: the Cadet Week water fight at West Mersea and the Airborne Soldier statue unveiling on 31 July, the Pride parade on 15 August and the RCT charity fundraiser on Nicholas Street on 30 August. Nothing is listed for October or beyond. That is a gap in the council’s page rather than a guarantee, so check it again close to a date you care about.

Park and ride: new operator since 26 September

With two city schemes running, the Park and Ride at Cuckoo Farm off the A12 is worth a look even if you have always driven in. It has 970 spaces, 29 of them disabled bays, and an adult return into the city is £3.20.

A different company has run the buses since Saturday 26 September. Essex County Council has awarded the four-year contract to Stephenson’s of Essex for £2,561,085, and the previous agreement ended on 25 September. Fares and hours on the council’s own page were unchanged when we checked on 1 October. We have set out what the change involves separately.

The hospital fare is the one almost nobody knows about. Show your Colchester Hospital appointment letter to the driver and the return is £1.70 rather than £3.20. Holders of a disability concessionary pass, and a companion where eligible, pay £1.70 before 9am on weekdays and travel free at any other time.

Two catches. It runs Monday to Friday 06:30 to 19:30 and Saturday 07:00 to 19:30, and not on Sundays. Once the service ends at 19:30 the car park is locked and you cannot get your car out, except on advertised event nights. The height restriction is 2.4 metres.

Colchester United home games are one of those advertised exceptions, and the site publishes the fixtures it opens for. Travel Essex has added to the list since our last check. Saturday 3pm games close the site at 19:30, as on a normal day:

• Saturday 17 October, Exeter City
• Saturday 31 October, Walsall
• Saturday 14 November, Gillingham
• Saturday 28 November, York City

The later dates with different hours are Saturday 19 December against Fleetwood Town (12.30pm kick-off, closing 19:30), Tuesday 29 December against Crawley Town (7.45pm, closing 22:30), New Year’s Day against Rotherham (open 13:00 to 18:00) and Tuesday 19 January against Chesterfield (7.40pm, closing 22:30). If you are parking only, buy the £3.00 ticket at the kiosk or through the Mobon app, code 120001, before you go back to your car. Full details are on Travel Essex.

City centre parking, and what it costs

If you do drive in, the two big council car parks are the St Mary’s multi-storey with 577 spaces and Priory Street with 169. Both take MiPermit, card, text and phone, and both charge the same £2.40 flat evening rate after 6pm. Priory Street is open 24 hours, seven days a week.

St Mary’s needs a footnote. The council has closed the entrance lane from 10pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, reopening it at 5am the next morning. You can still drive out at any time. So a late Saturday night is fine if your car is already in there, and a problem only if you were planning to arrive after 10pm.

Britannia car park, the 369-space long-stay site, has two notices on it. The council says access is closed from 11pm to 5am for overnight roadworks on “Tuesday 30 September and Wednesday 1 October”. In 2026, 30 September fell on a Wednesday, so the weekdays and dates on the notice do not match. Allow for tonight, 1 October, either way. Separately, 92 spaces at the western end are closed for archaeological investigations, expected to take up to seven weeks. The rest of the car park is open.

The MiPermit rates are the ones people miss. Booking through the app rather than paying at the machine drops four hours at St Mary’s from £5.50 to £3.70, and a 2pm to 6am stay to £3.20. Blue Badge holders park free for up to three hours at either, and Priory Street has seven accessible bays and two EV charging points against St Mary’s eleven bays and eight Shopmobility bays. Motorcycles park free at both. A season ticket at either is £555 for three months or £2,000 for twelve.

Note the height limits before you set off: 1.97m at Priory Street and 2.06m at St Mary’s. Neither takes a roof box or a high-top van.

Full tariffs are published by the council for Britannia, Priory Street and St Mary’s.

Going to London instead

For a day in London, the sums usually favour leaving the car at the Park and Ride or the station rather than driving. Colchester station has 935 spaces and the fastest trains reach Liverpool Street in 47 minutes. Times and fares are on our Colchester trains to London page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the A12 closed near Colchester?

One more night is planned. National Highways lists the A12 northbound between junction 19 at Boreham and junction 25 at Marks Tey as closed on Friday 9 October 2026, 9pm to 5am. That is the final phase of its Chelmsford to Colchester maintenance scheme. The southbound closures ended on 4 September.

What is the A12 diversion route?

Northbound traffic leaves the A12 at junction 19, joins the A131, continues to the A120 and follows it back to the A12 at junction 25, Marks Tey. National Highways does not publish a distance or an expected delay for it.

Is St Botolph’s Circus closed at night?

Not on any published date. The roundabout closed in full on the night of 30 September 2026, the last date in Essex Highways’ 18 September schedule. No further night closures had been announced when we checked on 1 October. Day work continues, 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.

Is Cymbeline Way closed?

Essex County Council’s traffic order closes Cymbeline Way either side of Spring Lane roundabout for five days from 1 October 2026, for Openreach duct laying. The signed diversion is via the A133, A1124 and A134. The order says the dates may vary.

Are there rail replacement buses at Colchester?

Yes, in late October. All lines between Witham and Colchester close from Monday 26 to Thursday 29 October, late at night and until 05:00 the next morning. The 23:48, 00:18 and 00:46 from Liverpool Street are replaced by buses between Witham and Colchester, and an early bus leaves Colchester at 04:10 to connect at Witham. On the Clacton branch, the 23:18 from Liverpool Street is replaced by a bus from Colchester on 10 October, from 12 to 14 October and on 21 November. On Sunday 15 November buses replace trains between Ipswich and Colchester, and on Sunday 22 November between Colchester and Ingatestone.

Are the St Botolph’s subways still open?

No. Essex Highways confirmed on 28 August 2026 that the subways are closed, with a temporary pedestrian crossing in their place. The electrics have since been disconnected and the murals are being removed. The finished scheme replaces the subways with signal-controlled crossings on every arm of the circus.

When will St Botolph’s Circus be finished?

Essex Highways expects the £15.2 million scheme to take about 18 months from its 2026 start and finish in autumn 2027.

Are any Colchester roads closed for events this month?

Not according to the council. Every closure on its upcoming road closures page had already taken place when we checked again on 1 October 2026, and nothing is listed for October or later.

How much is Colchester Park and Ride?

£3.20 for an adult return, £1.10 for a child under 16 and £5.40 for a group of two adults and three children arriving in one car. Show a Colchester Hospital appointment letter to the driver and it is £1.70. It runs Monday to Saturday only, and closes at 19:30. Stephenson’s of Essex took over the buses on 26 September.

What is the cheapest parking in Colchester city centre?

Booking through the MiPermit app. Four hours at St Mary’s or Priory Street drops to £3.70 that way, against £5.50 and £5.00 respectively at the standard rate. An adult Park and Ride return is cheaper still at £3.20.

Sources

• St Botolph’s Circus Regeneration update, Essex Highways, 18 September 2026 for the closure dates and times to 30 September, the bus gate suspension and the site works described. Rechecked on 1 October 2026, when it was still the latest St Botolph’s item on the Essex Highways news page.
• St Botolph’s Circus Roundabout, Essex Highways for the 28 August update, the subway closure, working hours, scheme cost, contractor and completion date.
• A12 Chelmsford to Colchester maintenance, National Highways for the Friday 9 October closure, the final phase on Old London Road and the diversion, checked 1 October 2026. The earlier phase dates are from the same page as published in July to September.
• Greater Anglia service alterations, October and November calendars, and its individual entries for Witham to Colchester, 26 to 29 October, Liverpool Street to Shenfield on 6 October, 13 October, 11 October and 18 October, Colchester to Clacton on 10 October, 12 to 14 October and 21 November, Ipswich to Colchester on 15 November, Colchester to Ingatestone on 22 November and Sudbury to Marks Tey on 21 and 22 November, all checked 1 October 2026.
• Essex County Council’s temporary traffic orders (Various Roads, City of Colchester) (Temporary Prohibition of Traffic) (Streetworks No.7) Order 2026 and the Streetworks No.8 order, published as a statutory notice, for the roads, extents, diversion routes and the Osborne Street bus gate suspension. For the October closures, Essex County Council’s traffic notices in the Colchester Gazette of 3 September, 10 September and 24 September 2026, the last of which also carries the (Various Roads, City of Colchester & District of Maldon) (No.12) order for The Strood and Mersea Road.
• East Hill construction update, Essex Highways, 28 August 2026 and Colchester walking and cycling for the south side kerb work, the temporary crossing, traffic management and mid-2027 completion. Rechecked 24 September 2026 and unchanged.
• Upcoming road closures, Colchester City Council, and each of the four event pages listed on it, for the closure dates. Rechecked 1 October 2026 and unchanged.
• Colchester Park and Ride, Travel Essex for fares, the hospital letter fare, hours, capacity and the Colchester United fixture list, rechecked 1 October 2026. The operator contract award is in Essex County Council decision 321/02/07/26.
• Britannia car park, Colchester City Council, for the overnight access closure and the 92-space archaeology closure, read 1 October 2026.
• Priory Street car park and St Mary’s car park, Colchester City Council, for tariffs, capacity, height limits and the St Mary’s weekend entrance lane closure. Both rechecked 24 September 2026 and unchanged.

Roadworks dates move with the weather and with what contractors find when they open up the carriageway. Check National Highways and Essex Highways before you set off.