Full details confirmed of Tour de France route through Essex

Essex County Council has announced precise details of the route the Tour de France will follow on Monday 7 July when Stage 3 of cycling’s biggest race passes through the county on the way from Cambridge to London.

The route of the 159km stage will see it cross into the county to the north of Saffron Walden, passing via the Uttlesford district to head through or past Braintree, Chelmsford and Epping Forest before it heads into Greater London.

The council says the route has now been finalised and has confirmed full details of the road closures that will be put in place, listed at the end of this article.

Source: www.letour2014.stage3.com, hi resolution version here

Essex County Councillor Ann Naylor, Cabinet Member for Public Health & Wellbeing, said: “We’re delighted to be able to say ‘bienvenue’ from Essex to a global audience of up to 3.5 billion people next July.

"This is yet another great sporting event to come to our county, building on our success with the Olympic Mountain Biking event and the Torch Relay for London 2012.

"Cycling is not only a fast-growing global sport but a great way of keeping fit and healthy.”

The county is the birthplace of Team Sky’s Ian Stannard and Movistar’s Alex Dowsett, who still lives there, while Mark Cavendish has a home there, with wife Peta Todd hailing from Essex.

Councillor Naylor added: “It’s wonderful that we may have two inspirational Essex-born stars riding through their home county and I’m sure the spectacle of the peleton flashing through our towns and countryside will be a brilliant way to showcase our county to the world.

“Over the coming months we will be working closely with the event organisers, district, borough and city councils and other partners to confirm plans and ensure Le Tour passes through Essex safely and successfully.

“We will provide residents and businesses with regular updates on the Tour De France coming to Essex. This will help residents and businesses to enjoy this fantastic sporting event and plan their movements for the day,” she added.

Full details of Stage 3 of the race can be found here.

Tour de France Stage 3 road closures in Essex

Uttlesford District

• The route enters Essex on the B184 from the A11 and down Windmill Hill towards Saffron Walden
• In the centre of Saffron Walden it turns left at the traffic signals from High Street into George Street/Hill Street
• It continues into East Street and on to the B1053/Radwinter Road
• In Radwinter the B1053 becomes the B1054 for a short distance
• Just east of Radwinter cyclists will turn right onto the B1053 again
• The route continues on the B1053 until just west of Great Sampford, where it becomes the B1051 for a short distance
• In Great Sampford the route turns left onto the B1053 again

Braintree District

• Route continues on the B1053 through Finchingfield
• It continues to Wethersfield, where cyclists will turn right to continue on the B1053
• Cyclists continue on B1053 until Church End then turn right onto unnamed road towards Shalford Green
• Continue on unnamed road towards Rayne passing through Duckend Green
• Enter Rayne on Shalford Road and go straight across at the traffic lights into Gore Road
• Turn right into New Road with the Flitch Way on your right
• Follow this road and it becomes School Road and goes over the A120

Uttlesford District

• Follow this road through Bannister Green towards Felsted
• In Felsted the route takes Braintree Road, the B1417, then cyclists will turn left into Chelmsford Road in the centre of Felsted
• Route continues on the B1417 until turning left onto the B1008

Chelmsford District

• At the roundabout the route turns right into Main Road towards Great Waltham
• Continues on Main Road through Howe Street and, in the centre of Great Waltham, turns right into South Street
• South Street becomes Breeds Road and goes through Fanners Green and Chignal Smealy
• At the junction turn left into Woodhall Hill
• Follow Woodhall Hill, which turns into Chignall Road, at the junction turn right and continue along Chignall Road
• At the traffic lights turn right into Roxwell Road, the A1060
• Continue along the A1060 and turn left into Vicarage Road towards Roxwell
• Continue through Roxwell where Vicarage Road turns into The Street and then Elms Road

Epping District

• Elms Road becomes Shellow Road and goes through Shellow Bowells
• Continue on Shellow Road which becomes Dukes Lane and then School Lane
• In Beauchamp Roding turn left on to Dunmow Road B184
• Continue on the B184 which becomes Ongar Road and turn right into Moreton Road at Clatterford End
• Continue on Moreton Road which becomes Fyfield Road and then Maltings Hill
• Continue through Moreton on Church Road which becomes Harlow Road
• Just north of Moreton turn left into Wind Hill
• Continue on Wind Hill and then turn left into Weald Bridge Road
• Continue straight across the Talbot Roundabout towards North Weald and Epping on the B181
• Continue on the B181 High Road which becomes Epping Road and goes under the M11
• At the traffic signals turn left towards Epping on the B1393
• Continue through Epping High Street and then High Road on the B1393 which goes over the M25 Bell Common Tunnel
• Continue on the B1393 which becomes Epping Road and at the roundabout go straight over into Epping New Road the A104
• Continue on the A104 Epping New Road and leave Essex

Roads on and connected to the route in Essex are anticipated to be closed as follows:

Uttlesford and Braintree – 7.30am to 4pm
Chelmsford – 8am to 5pm
Epping Forest – 8am to 5pm
Epping Forest A414 area – 8am to 5pm