NEW plans for Colchester will allow for tens of thousands of extra cars to use the town's roads per day.

Radical changes for junctions at Ipswich Road and Harwich Road were outlined yesterday by Essex Highways bosses.

They show an overhaul of two roundabouts at the junction of Ipswich Road and Cowdray Avenue as well as the two separate roundabouts at the junction of Harwich Road and St Andrew's Avenue.

The blueprints show an elongated single Ipswich Road roundabout would have three lanes going around it, instead of two, and there would be three lanes entering the roundabout from the north, the south and the east.

Under the plans, a zebra crossing at Cowdray Avenue is set to be removed and the pedestrian route from the southern Ipswich Road to Cowdray Avenue will be scrapped to make way for the roundabout's third lane.

A second eastbound lane would also run from the roundabout towards Harwich Road.

Similarly, the Harwich Road junction would see the two existing roundabouts removed, with one large one built.

A second westbound lane would added as drivers leave the junction towards St Andrew's Avenue.

Highways bosses have set aside up to £10million to complete the work on both junctions, which is due to begin in January 2018.

Alan Lindsay, Essex County Council transport strategy and engagement manager, said: "The plans are part of our aim to improve the economic performance of Colchester.

"The changes will also encourage lane discipline and hopefully have an impact on reducing driver confusion and make the layout more understandable."

Mr Lindsay admitted the plans are as a result of "ambitious" growth targets set in Colchester for house building.

He added: "We are working with Colchester Borough Council to mitigate the development in terms of the roads.

"The level of growth which is predicted does give us a challenge."

A programme of smaller work will take place before the major works begin, which includes stopping drivers using Old Coach Road - which connects the southern stretch of Ipswich Road to East Street - as a cut-through.

Under the plans, access and exit to and from the road will only be from East Street, with one lane entering and two lanes exiting.

Road markings at the East Street roundabout would also be improved.