UK's longest-running roadworks still going after 11 years

Motorists and residents who have endured the UK's longest-running roadworks for the past 11 years have now been informed it could take a further 12 months before the project wraps up. Drivers have suffered lengthy commute times and businesses report losing trade due to the marathon repairs, which first began on a bridge spanning a busy dual carriageway in Witham, Essex , back in 2015. Locals using Woodend Bridge, which crosses over the A12 , have been putting up with a lane closure and temporary traffic lights for over a decade. The bridge's infrastructure was left damaged following three separate crashes on the A12 - one of the busiest carriageways in the entire country. Repair works on the bridge were delayed due to confusion surrounding the A12 widening scheme, which had been set to add a third lane to ease congestion. However, those plans were scrapped in July last year owing to budget constraints, leaving residents to contend with gridlocked traffic across the bridge for the past 11 years. A town council meeting held earlier this month revealed that works are now not expected to be completed until at least the 2027/2028 financial year. The roadworks have even earned their own pinpoint on Google Maps, along with a TripAdvisor page boasting 52 five-star reviews, cheekily poking fun at 'Witham's most famous attraction'. Local AJ Grand-Scrutton, who runs Dlala gaming studio, revealed his staff were frequently stuck in gridlocked traffic caused by the works. He explained: "My four-to-eight-minute commute can take 45 minutes if there's a second set of roadworks which compounds the issue. "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." AJ fears his partners in the gaming industry might be discouraged by the prolonged works - particularly significant as the sole licence holder for Mickey Mouse outside the US. At least half a million pounds has been spent on traffic management while no work commenced on upgrading the bridge. He continued: "The messaging is clear that if we were a bigger city with a higher level of traffic, would they have left the traffic lights there for years? Probably not. "The person who put them up may have been in primary school when they first started setting them out. It is ridiculous and there is genuine frustration in the town. It shows the people of Witham actually care." A Witham Town Council meeting held in April revealed the bridge had not been repaired due to its expected demolition with the proposed A12 widening project. Plans to add a third lane to the major road were scrapped in July 2025 over budget constraints - estimated at around £1.2bn. Motorists had previously voiced concerns over severe congestion and gridlocked traffic on the road, with Tory MP for Witham Priti Patel labelling the cancellation a "disgrace". According to the town council meeting minutes, a roundabout project had been given priority, pushing any repair works back to the 2027/2028 financial year. One local resident, who asked not to be named, said the bridge was essential due to its connections with a nearby farmer, who is unable to use the A12 with agricultural vehicles. They said: "It does have an impact on businesses around here and nobody wants to sit in traffic in a place which should be free-flowing. "With the A12, nobody knew what was going on. One minute they were going to do it [widen], the next they weren't. "Farmers rely on the bridge to get over to their fields on the other side, they can't be taking a tractor on the road. It can be chaos. It can take more than half an hour to do a 5 minute journey. Temporary should mean temporary - or otherwise they should find another way of dealing with it." Reviews posted on the bridge's TripAdvisor page have taken a swipe at the decade-long roadworks. A one-star review read: "I drive over Woodend Bridge every single day, which means I've now spent enough of my life at these temporary lights to qualify for residency." A five-star review chimed in: "The excitement when approaching the bridge is palpable. Will the lights be red or green? "For sure as you approach and they flicker off green you'll be sure to run that red light as no one in 10 years has ever come the other way." Priti Patel MP penned a letter to transport secretary Heidi Alexander regarding the delays in tackling the bridge's structural problems following the cancellation of the A12 widening scheme. Had the scheme not been cancelled, "work would already be underway transforming this road, making it safer, easing congestion and supporting economic growth", she wrote. Highways bosses say "complex" work to install a replacement bridge beam is scheduled for this year. A National Highways spokesperson said: "Repairing the integral structure of this bridge is complex and much of our focus has been finalising a design that causes the least disruption to drivers who rely on the A12 that runs underneath. "We acknowledge the duration that traffic management has been in place for the safety of those using the bridge and apologise for any inconvenience."