Highways England has launched a consultation period for its A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening project, which is part of the organisation’s multi-billion-pound investment in the network. The project aims to improve journeys by widening the A12 to three lanes in each direction between junction 19 (Boreham interchange) and junction 25 (Marks Tey interchange).
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The public consultation – running until the 1st December 2019 – will cover four new possible routes between junctions 23 and 25 whilst the Colchester Braintree Borders Garden Community proposal is being examined. Highways England will be holding eight public drop-in exhibition events in Chelmsford, Witham, Colchester and Hatfield Peverel across November to support the consultation.
Highways England has also announced its preferred route for the road between junctions 19 and 23, based on two options from the public consultation on the A12 project held by Highways England in spring 2017. The preferred route widens the existing A12 corridor to three lanes in each direction where required, as well as creating a three-lane bypass in each direction at Rivenhall End.
Highways England said the decision has taken into account the feedback it received from its previous public consultation. As part of the changes, junction 19 will be subject to further design review, junctions 20a and 20b will be removed; and new junctions 21 and 22 will be constructed to become ‘all movements’ junctions to serve traffic from all directions. The organisation said it is also considering whether junction 23 could be removed, with new access roads from Kelvedon to junction 22 provided.
Timeline
Following the public consultation for the potential new routes between junctions 23 and 25, Highways England said it expects to announce its preferred route for the junctions in summer 2020. It will then hold another public consultation for more detailed designs for the overall widening project, before aiming to submit its application for development consent on the full route in 2021 with the expectation to start construction in 2023 if approved.
According to Highways England, the proposed changes to the A12 “will transform journeys between Essex and Suffolk to London by reducing congestion” which will “allow traffic to flow more freely and will help to support the local and national economy”.