Chelmsford's Army and Navy flyover to close 'indefinitely' due to safety concerns

The Army and Navy flyover in Chelmsford has been closed. Credit: ITV News Anglia

The Army and Navy flyover in Chelmsford has been shut "indefinitely" due to safety concerns.

Essex County Council took the decision to close the bridge after one of the support plinths moved in Thursday's soaring temperatures.

[In 2018,](http://Army and Navy flyover shut over safety fears) the ageing flyover was shut for more than a month due to a similar issue, and it also closed on multiple occasions during this week's heatwave.

According to the council, the bridge won't reopen again until engineers have carried out a thorough assessment.

“After last summer’s movement on supporting columns due to heat expansion and necessary repairs to the flyover, we installed sensors on the structure," Cllr Kevin Bentley, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, 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.

"The Task Force involving all councils and the MP Vicky Ford and local stakeholders continues to push hard with the case to Government for investment in a solution to manage traffic demand in the area.”

Local MP Vicky Ford wrote on Twitter that the closure would make congestion in the city "challenging", but added that she is continuing to try to find a "long-term solution."