Traffic chaos in Harlow continues but all we found were deserted roads…and little work going on
News / Mon 10th Nov 2025 at 09:29am
A NUMBER of roads in Harlow were in complete gridlock all weekend due to a number of major roads being closed off for “improvements”
As we reported on Saturday, Velizy Avenue and surrounding roads were shut off.
Traffic on the other main roads (First Avenue, Second Avenue, Fifth Avenue) is bad enough at the weekend.
This weekend it was paralysed, with traffic stretching back for miles.
When our editor went down to Velizy Avene on Sunday morning it was deserted. No work was being done and yet traffic was being backed up for miles.
One resident told us it was taking half an hour to get from The Stow to the railway station.
We do feel for businesses, for whom life must be difficult enough without major roads, just seven weeks from Christmas, being closed.
One of the frustrations for Your Harlow is that Essex County Council place roadwork notices in printed papers.
Despite it being 2025, if there was only one printed newspaper left in the country and it was in the Shetland Isles, then that’s where a roadworks notice for Harlow would have to be placed.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the improvements to our town, many will cite this as an example of “we are going to change your town whether you like it or not…..”
This looks like the road to nowhere………….
AB
2025-11-10 09:53:01
Retail businesses must be suffering from this planning incontinence (yes, I mean that). The disruption is going on and on, while some qango and Demolition Dan keep blowing hard about alleged benefits.
David Forman
2025-11-10 10:53:28
I wonder when the much anticipated Stort River Crossing is going to be started? Also, when are Essex County going to dual carriageway the bridge over the railway?
David Forman
2025-11-10 10:58:07
I like the Editor's crack about 28 Days Later.
Carole
2025-11-10 11:04:53
I'll be very surprised if traffic flow improves when they've finally finished. It looks very much like Velizy Avenue going north will be down to one lane for ordinary traffic because the other will be a bus lane.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-11-10 12:44:13
I am sure that in due course the thousands of new residents living in Gilston who will be cycling or catching a bus to the Town Centre will appreciate all the inconvenience caused to Harlow's residents during the last two years. What has been built will do nothing to reduce the congestion on Harlo'w roads, indeed it may well make things worse. And of course there is worse yet to come as David Forman alludes to in his post about the river crossing.
jarrett
2025-11-10 13:05:28
Fifth Ave from the river to the Gilston Roundabout already has batter boards staked out in the field, is this to be dualled along with new bridges?
Stuart J
2025-11-10 14:14:51
Those batters boards are in connection with the proposed new bridge, that is to be built alongside the existing bridge. This bridge will provide a northbound carriageway together with a dedicated bus lane. That will then allow for the existing bridge to accommodate the southbound traffic and a dedicated bus lane. Therefore Fifth Ave is going to remain as a single carriageway road.
jarrett
2025-11-10 15:10:38
Cheers Stuart.
LW
2025-11-10 16:43:25
Editor, have you also noticed the roadworks on Momples Road were scheduled to begin at the start of September and end 28th October. They're still ongoing with temporary traffic lights in place meaning you can't even use it as a way to cut through the traffic backing up towards Aldi. There has been no justification or reason cited for the delay, and by the looks of it they're nowhere near done. To add insult to misery, the orginal sign stating the works will be finished on Oct 28th is still proudly on display along Momples Road.
Jasper
2025-11-11 09:58:19
Momples road is a joke. It dangerous and poorly finished. Essex cc needs to look at the state of it around all the speed humps. Sack the imcompetents that patched it up and sack the person from said council in charge of highways as he clearly doesnt follow up on all the comments over said road. Another question to him, when are those ridiculous road works going to end as the signs say Autumn and we are bordering on winter
Stuart G
2025-11-11 13:49:12
You have to close the connector roads to the roundabouts at a sensible point and put a workable diversion in place else you just get people driving up to a dead end and then they have to turn around and go back. If works need to happen on a bridge, you don't just close the bridge, you close the roads leading to and from the bridge at sensible points to allow a full diversion to be put in place. It's common sense not a conspiracy!
Paul
2025-11-11 21:18:42
Stuart G. Thats exactly what happened last week in London Road at the Church Langley end. Car after car turning round in the entrance to Kao Park due to incompetence over road closure signs.
David
2025-11-12 06:37:13
It’s ok the signs say completion Autumn 2025 , therefore 2 more weeks, or should that read 2035 ?
Djbuk
2025-11-12 13:20:40
Harlow needs to be renamed to Gridlock town
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