Lorry ban on Dunmow high street labelled useless

Badly placed weight limit signs leading to Dunmow High Street have been criticised this week for warning drivers too late to take a different route.

This is after the same sign, telling heavy lorries weighing more than seven and a half tonnes that they cannot drive along the road, was originally put up on a completely different road – Woodside Way Bypass, which was built to handle heavy traffic.

The sign is now on Chelmsford Road, but just before the restriction starts, forcing lorry drivers to either carry on or manoeuvre the small road and turn around.

Drivers who are unaware until the last minute have to turn around and double back, something most do not bother to do because of their size, according to Dunmow town councillor Alexander Armstrong.

He said: “It’s blooming silly because it’s like that, and it’s really frustrated people that Essex County Council seem to do a half job then it gets lost.

“It’s frustrating because there’s no joined up thinking – there are no alternative routes signposted.

“Vehicles that don’t know the area don’t know there’s a restriction until it’s too late.”

Lorries heading for the several industrial estates in the area or for access to the High Street are not affected by the sign, it is only those looking to travel through Dunmow and onto the B184 the other side.

This is only a problem the south end of the High Street – the north end is signposted early enough for lorries to take another route.

Essex County Council’s highways has said their engineers are looking into the placement of the sign and whether is it appropriate, or if more advance warning signs are needed.