WHILE the statement made by Kevin Bentley to the effect that the Harwich Road/Ipswich Road roadworks “is set to be completed” is likely to be met with loud guffaws and cries of “Yeah, right”, it has been met with groans of disappointment from the local bookmakers.

They have for some time being working out what odds to give on which would be over first: The roadworks or the pandemic.

After hearing the declaration by Mr Bentley and knowing of past performances by Essex County Council, they have now made the pandemic favourite to be finished before the roadworks.

Richard Hart

Harwich Road, Colchester

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Lengthy road works a waste of time

I SEE Kevin Bentley is bragging that the change in infrastructure is part of Essex County Council’s attempt to ensure “Colchester has the capacity for traffic in the future” (Gazette, September 24, “End of the road for traffic jams?”).

Before this expensive and destructive scheme was started, I went to a presentation by Ringway Jacobs at the Rose and Crown hotel.

There was no mention of the extensive underground work which has added at least a year on to the work, yet Mr Bentley claims it is “more or less on time”.

An extra year for residents and east-west travellers is a long time.

Especially as we know it is not going to make any difference to the jams at the two roundabouts.

This is vital on a busy road which is home to the main fire station.

The fear is that with one single roundabout at each junction, a simple shunt or breakdown will be enough to rapidly bring all four feeder roads to a standstill, even given the three circulating lanes at the Ipswich Road roundabout.

For cyclists travelling east-west, the junction outside Waitrose and the path going over the bridge has not been improved.

Mr Bentley should be spending our millions on reducing traffic and encouraging other forms of transport.

Desmond McCarron

Harwich Road, Colchester