A12 widening work set to increase village traffic

The project is expected to help ease congestion and save drivers up to 90 minutes

A village could see traffic levels rise by a third during improvements to a dual carriageway, a conservation group has warned.

The £1.2bn project to widen a 15-mile (24km) stretch of the A12 - from Chelmsford to the A120 - will increase the link to three lanes.

Data modelling by National Highways suggests the improvements could save drivers as much as 90 minutes a week on journeys.

However Bill Kyle, a member of the Boreham Conservation Society said the village would be "impacted, and quite dramatically".

The Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, gave development consent last week for the A12 dual carriageway widening scheme.

The plans would see the closures of junctions 20a and 20b, between Boreham and Hatfield Peverel, and the creation of a new junction 21.

The data modelling by National Highways suggests there will be a 33% increase in traffic during the morning rush hour - and a 25% increase overall in traffic through Boreham.

Mr Kyle added: “The government built the Boreham bypass to save Boreham from traffic and now to improve the bypass .. they are putting more traffic through Boreham."

Despite plans for speed cameras and limits of 30mph through the village, Mr Kyle said he was worried about the impact of greater volumes of traffic.

“I think people would rather save a mile than a minute," he said.

"You know you are going to save that. Boreham is going to be impacted and quite dramatically.

"The die has been cast. There’s nothing we can do.”

'Transform the road'

A spokesperson for National Highways said that new developments had to meet "modern safety design standards" and junctions 20a and 20b needed "significant" upgrades.

“The proposed improvements to the A12 between Chelmsford and the A120 at Marks Tey will transform the road by improving safety, reducing congestion and helping to move traffic away from country roads and nearby villages," they said.

"It will also support economic growth and provide better facilities for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and public transport users.

“We will continue to listen to local residents and work alongside them to address any concerns they have.”