Chelmsford Army and Navy junction improvements face further wait as completion pushed to 2031

Motorists in Chelmsford face several more years of congestion at the city’s notorious Army and Navy junction, with the latest official timetable indicating that major improvement works may not be completed until 2031.

Essex County Council’s current plans for the £81 million Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package show construction is scheduled to begin in 2028, subject to final funding approval and other necessary agreements.

The project is intended to transform one of Chelmsford’s busiest junctions, where long queues and delays have frustrated drivers for years.

However, the latest timetable means residents and commuters face a considerable wait before the proposed improvements are delivered.

What is planned for the Army and Navy junction?

The centrepiece of the project is a new hamburger roundabout, featuring a road running directly through the middle of the existing junction.

The design is intended to improve traffic flow by allowing certain vehicles to pass through the junction without circulating around the entire roundabout.

The wider improvement package also includes:

  • New bus priority measures on routes approaching the junction.
  • Improved pedestrian crossings and cycling facilities.
  • Changes to road layouts designed to reduce congestion.
  • An expansion of Sandon Park and Ride.
  • Improvements to public transport connections into Chelmsford city centre.

Plans to expand Chelmer Valley Park and Ride are no longer being taken forward as part of the project.

Construction now scheduled for 2028

According to Essex Highways, construction of the wider package is currently scheduled to begin in 2028, with completion expected in 2031.

The council says the timetable remains dependent on securing final funding approval and completing other agreements.

The precise order in which the different elements of the scheme will be constructed has yet to be agreed.

Work on the junction itself is expected to take approximately two years, although this could change depending on the time required to divert underground utilities.

The council hopes additional spaces at Sandon Park and Ride can be provided before the main junction works begin, helping accommodate increased demand during construction.

£81 million scheme aims to cut congestion

Essex County Council says the project could significantly improve journeys through the Army and Navy junction.

Its assessment forecasts a 53% improvement in average journey times for private vehicles travelling through the junction once the scheme is completed.

The proposals are also intended to improve bus journey reliability and make walking and cycling safer.

However, these improvements remain forecasts rather than achieved results, and their delivery depends on the final scheme being approved and constructed.

Why is the project taking so long?

The Army and Navy improvement scheme has been progressing through a lengthy process involving planning, funding, land acquisition and statutory approvals.

In May 2026, Essex Highways announced that the objection period for the junction’s Compulsory Purchase Order and Side Road Order had been extended after an error was identified in a deposited scheme plan.

The corrected documents were published, and the objection deadline was extended to June 11.

The council has stressed that it wants to deliver a solution as quickly as possible but must comply with government, legal and planning requirements.

Further testing will also be undertaken before the submission of the project’s Full Business Case.

When will Chelmsford’s Army and Navy junction be finished?

Under the current published programme, the wider improvements are expected to be completed in 2031.

That date is not guaranteed and remains subject to the outstanding approvals and agreements.

For motorists regularly travelling through the junction, it means congestion is likely to remain a familiar feature of journeys into and out of Chelmsford for several more years.

City Hub will continue to follow the project as Essex County Council confirms further details about funding, construction and the final delivery timetable.