First Avenue, Second Avenue and Pyenest Road go into rolling closures for up to 18 months from 20 August. The order names no works, no contractor and no dates.

Essex County Council has put nearly five kilometres of Harlow’s avenues into rolling closures for up to 18 months. The order covers First Avenue, Second Avenue and Pyenest Road, and it takes effect from 20 August 2026.

It does not say what the works are.

Essex County Council gave notice of the order on the Public Notice Portal on 13 August, saying it intended to make it not less than seven days later. The order takes effect on 20 August. It gives no contractor, no reason and no start date for any individual phase. Its formal title numbers it the fifth such order made for the district this year.

The three roads

Road Extent named in the order Length Signed diversion
First Avenue Fifth Avenue to the A414 about 2,315m A414, Edinburgh Way, Fifth Avenue
Second Avenue Third Avenue to the A414 about 1,940m A414, Edinburgh Way, A1019
Pyenest Road Kingsmoor Road to Abercrombie Way about 695m Kingsmoor Road, A1169, Abercrombie Way

That is 4,950 metres in total. First Avenue and Second Avenue are two of the original new town avenues. They are the spine roads the neighbourhoods were hung off when Harlow was laid out, and both run up to the A414.

Lengths of road covered by the Harlow closure order Bar chart of the three road lengths named in the Essex County Council order published on 13 August 2026. First Avenue is about 2,315 metres, Second Avenue about 1,940 metres and Pyenest Road about 695 metres, a total of about 4,950 metres. Nearly 5km of Harlow road under one 18-month order Lengths as stated in the schedule to the order. Each road closes in phases, not all at once. First Avenue 2,315m Second Avenue 1,940m Pyenest Road 695m Total 4,950m, or just under 5km Source: Essex County Council, (Various Roads, District of Harlow) Order (No.5) 2026, published 13 August 2026. Graphic by Harlow Online
The three lengths named in the order. They close in phases and reopen between them, so all three are never shut at once.

What the order actually does

The roads do not all shut on day one. The order says the works “will take place within an 18-month period from 20th August 2026”, with each road closed “to facilitate each phase of works and then re-opened to the public”.

While a phase is running:

  • A temporary no waiting, no loading and no stopping restriction applies to both sides of the carriageway.
  • Any existing parking bays on that length are suspended, including residents’ bays covered by the council’s 2019 consolidation order.
  • Access is maintained for the emergency services.
  • A diversion is signed at each location.

The order may stay in force for 18 months, or until the works finish, whichever comes first.

What the notice does not tell you

The other closures in the same notice all name a cause. Burntmill Lane names Essex County Council and bridge strengthening. Harlow Road at Moreton names Openreach and a pole replacement.

The closest comparison sits in the same notice. Essex County Council made a near-identical clearway order for various roads in Epping on the same day. That one states plainly that it is “required for the safety of the public and workforce while water main replacement works are undertaken by Thames Water”.

The Harlow avenues order says nothing of the kind. It states the effect, lists the three roads and their diversions, and stops. There is no scheme title, no contractor and no cost.

Nor are there dates. The order says only that “exact dates will be specified on one.network”, and that residents “will be informed of the dates of each phase via letter/leaflet drop and advanced warning signs on the road”.

We have not attributed the works to any scheme, because the record does not support it. Essex Highways currently lists four Harlow schemes on its website, and none of them names Second Avenue or Pyenest Road.

How to find out when your road is affected

There are three practical routes, in order of how far ahead they warn you:

  1. one.network, which the order itself names as the place the dates will appear. It shows every permitted closure and street works in Essex.
  2. The leaflet drop and the advance warning signs, which the council commits to in the order for each phase.
  3. Essex County Council’s contact centre on 0345 603 7631, the number given in the notice for enquiries.

What it means for you

  • If you park on First Avenue, Second Avenue or Pyenest Road, your bay can be suspended during a phase, and the restriction covers both sides of the road. Look for the yellow notices going up before you assume your usual space is safe.
  • If you drive across town, the diversions for both avenues route you onto the A414 and Edinburgh Way. That is the same road Essex County Council is dropping to 30mph from 28 to 30 August for the Town Show, so avoid the bank holiday weekend if you have a choice.
  • If you live on one of the seven roads in the south of the town, Little Pynchons, Pear Tree Mead, Parnall Road, Paringdon Road, Partridge Road, Tendring Road or Ployters Road, you are already inside a separate 18-month programme that started in January. This new order does not replace it.
  • There is no consultation to respond to. A section 14 temporary order is made by the highway authority, not consulted on. The route to influence it is the contact centre or your county councillor.

Our Harlow roadworks and travel page tracks every current closure in the town, including the September dates for Chalk Lane, Burntmill Lane and The Hornbeams.

Sources

More Harlow information: roadworks and travel, planning news, house prices and trains to London.