Essex Highways shows its pedal-power

The world’s attention was on Essex roads on July 7 as billions of people watched the Tour de France on TV, while over one million enthusiastic spectators turned out in Cambridge, Essex and London to cheer the riders on.

The third stage of the 96-mile route took in some of Essex’s prettiest villages, with thousands lining the route through Uttlesford, Braintree, Chelmsford and Epping Forest, before moving on to London.

Cllr Ann Naylor, Cabinet Minister for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “The fantastic success of the Tour de France in Essex is just another example of how we are able to host world-class sporting events and it is a day the whole county will look back on for years to come. It was a truly historic day.”

Indeed, Essex Highways played an important part behind the scenes. Our teams had been hard at work in the weeks and days leading up to the event, to ensure the safety and well-being of riders and spectators alike.

Cllr Rodney Bass, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “We were very pleased that the road system, the look and feel of the roads and the traffic management worked so well for the Tour de France in Essex.”

Andy Champ, Network Operations Manager, led the Essex Highways response, pulling together a number of disciplines and teams. J P Robinson, the project manager from Innovision who managed the Tour de France in the UK, congratulated Andy and his team on their expertise, professionalism and the excellent job they did.

The teams included: highway inspectors and maintenance teams, who ensured the route met our maintenance standards; the streetworks team, who liaised with the utility companies ensuring the route was free from roadworks; the network management team, who put in place the legal road closures and no waiting zones, arranged vehicle removal and approved the traffic management plans; the road safety team who contributed to legacy and engagement activities in schools such as Bikeability training; and the communications team, who produced leaflets for residents and motorists to explain the closures on the day.

And last, but not least, the progress of the Tour was monitored throughout the day by the Essex Traffic Control Centre who also supported with VMS messages in the lead up to the event.