The bridge was damaged following three separate crashes on the A12, and repair works were delayed due to confusion surrounding the now-scrapped A12 widening scheme, which was abandoned last July due to budget constraints, major media reports said. At least half a million pounds has been spent on traffic management while no work commenced on upgrading the bridge.
The prolonged roadworks have frustrated local businesses. According to the Daily Mirror, AJ Grand-Scrutton, who runs Dlala gaming studio, described how his four-to-eight-minute commute can take 45 minutes when additional roadworks compound the issue. He said that people trying to get from the studio to the station, a two-minute drive, end up stuck at the top of the road, sending a negative message about how seriously Witham is being treated.
My four-to-eight-minute commute can take 45 minutes if there's a second set of roadworks which compounds the issue.
The roadworks have also gained bizarre online fame, with a Google Maps pin and a TripAdvisor page featuring 52 five-star reviews.
People trying to get from our studio to the station, which is a two minute drive, end up getting stuck at the top of the road. It does send a message. We have business with Disney, Nintendo and Microsoft which we're bringing to the Witham economy.
When those so-called traffic lights have been there more than ten years, it sends a message about how seriously Witham is being treated. We're trying to turn this little corner of Essex into a creative area and this contradicts it.