Chelmsford Army and Navy flyover closed indefinitely

A "full engineering assessment" will be carried out on the flyover which crosses the Army and Navy roundabout in Chelmsford city centre

A 40-year-old flyover in Essex has been closed after a technical fault was discovered during the heatwave.

Essex County Council said the Army and Navy flyover in Chelmsford would be closed indefinitely.

Council engineers said a plinth at the flyover, which is one of the busiest junctions in the county, had moved during the higher temperatures.

Kevin Bentley, cabinet member for infrastructure, said there was no option but to take urgent action.

The flyover opened in the 1970s and allows traffic using Essex Yeomanry Way and Parkway to avoid the roundabout on a raised highway

The structure was closed in September after an inspection found two of its supporting columns were damaged. It reopened in October after repair work.

Mr Bentley said: "This year we have also had engineers on site on a daily basis during the hot weather to check the structure, and we have found similar movement.

"The flyover is now less safe, so we have taken the decision to close it to traffic until a full engineering assessment can be carried out."

Dave Oldershaw said work was needed to replace the flyover with a permanent solution to improve the road network south of the city centre

'Sticking plaster'

Dave Oldershaw, of the Great Baddow East Neighbourhood Association, said he was surprised it had been closed again.

"The council have had 40 years to do something about this. They have known it's a problem and have done nothing," he said.

"But the council doesn't listen, they just put a sticking plaster on it."

Mr Oldershaw said work was needed to replace the flyover with a permanent solution.