A12 Essex road widening could devastate Boreham says resident

Work to widen the A12 near Chelmsford could begin next year

A campaigner has said a road widening scheme could "devastate" a village.

Bill Kyle said planned work on the A12 near Chelmsford, Essex, could increase traffic in nearby Boreham by up to 50%.

National Highways said the project, costing up to £1.3bn to create three lanes of traffic and replace junctions, would ease congestion in the area.

The project, which would run from Chelmsford to the A120, is still in its planning stage, but work could begin next year and be completed by 2027.

The proposed widening, starting at junction 19 of the A12, would also see junctions 20A and 20B, close to Boreham, closed and replaced by a new junction 21.

Mr Kyle, of the Boreham Conservation Society, said: "The outcomes of the National Highways proposed A12 widening scheme is that the main road through Boreham incur a significant - between 25 and 50% - increase in traffic, largely due to the closure of junction 20A."

He raised his concerns at a full council meeting of Essex County Council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"Is this a fair outcome from such a significant expenditure from the national purse on a local community, and what actions are Essex County Council taking to require National Highways to reconsider and eliminate this proposed increase which will devastate our village?"

Conservative councillor Lesley Wagland, cabinet member for economic renewal, infrastructure and planning, said: "While Essex County Council acknowledges the challenges with retaining junction 20A, we are nonetheless concerned about the impacts the proposals will have on traffic on the B1137 main road.

"Officers are in regular dialogue with National Highways about the impacts of the scheme and seeking suitable measures to mitigate and address those impacts."

In its project overview, National Highways said the proposed changes to the A12 would improve safety for road users, reduce congestion in the area, take long-distance traffic off local roads and make improvements for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and public transport users.