A £1.2bn project to widen one of the UK’s busiest roads is set to slash commuter times and end village rat runs.
The A12 is one of the busiest roads in the east of England and connects Chelmsford and Colchester which are two of the UK’s newest cities – both in Essex – with growing populations.
The section between Chelmsford at junction 19 (Boreham Interchange) to junction 25 at Marks Tey Interchange (near Colchester) carries high volumes of traffic, with up to 90,000 vehicles every day. It also connects the ports of Harwich and Felixstowe and nearby Stansted Airport.
The resulting congestion leads to delays and means that, during the morning commute, a driver’s average speed is particularly slow in both directions for a dual carriageway A-road of its kind. In mid January the project to improve the stretch took a significant step forward as planning permission for the scheme was granted.
The National Highways agency explained more on its website about the work that’s costing between £1.045bn and £1.268bn, and set to be completed by some time between 2027 and 2028.
It said: “The scale of our work here on the A12 will help improve safety for drivers, especially at the junctions and slip roads, reduce traffic congestion by increasing capacity, and make journey times more reliable.
“Our plans will see the current four-lane carriageway widen to six lanes (three in each direction).
“Other major improvements include the construction of two major bypasses at Rivenhall End and to the north of Kelvedon. These changes will help to take heavy goods vehicles away from minor roads and local villages.”
It added: “Junctions will also be upgraded to help traffic enter and exit the A12 safely. Public transport users will also benefit with access to additional bus stops, making their journeys quicker, safer, and more convenient.”
The agency says that the proposed scheme will save motorists as much as 1.5 hours in a working week if they travel daily between junctions 19 and 25.
Chelmsford was granted city status in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II and had a population of 110,606 in 2021.
Colchester officially received city status in 2022 as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours. It had a population of 121,859 in 2019. Both cities have grown in size.
