19 Mar 89% of locals want the A12 widened after consultation
Last year plans were announced to look at potentially widening the A12 in Essex and members of the public got the chance to voice their thoughts on the planned move, after a successful public consultation it showed that 89% of locals backed the move and they genuinely believed it would help combat traffic management.
Highways England held seven consultation events over the course of the consultation, with staff available to speak to over 1,853 members of the public who attended.
The events showcased Highways England’s plans to widen the A12 between junction 19 (Boreham interchange) and junction 25 (Marks Tey interchange), which will reduce congestion, improve safety and boost the economy. It is part of the Government’s record £15 billion investment in England’s motorways and major A roads.
Highways England programme leader Richard Hofton said:
“I want to thank everyone who took part in this consultation. We heard some really interesting views and suggestions during the events and I was encouraged by the amount of people that took time out of their days to come and see us and then also contribute formally to the consultation. Local feedback is vital to achieving a successful scheme. We will now me analysing all the responses we received and share the results of this, announcing what our preferred route is this summer.”
Some 89 per cent of respondents were positive about the events, which were held alongside Essex County Council’s consultation into its nine options for a new A120 route between Braintree and Colchester, which would bypass the existing villages the road travels through, as part of its feasibility study. The figure rose to 94 per cent satisfaction at Boreham, with residents and other interested parties sharing their views and learning more about both schemes at the events.
After various routes of working to better the A12 where shared with members of the public, the selected course of action will be announced this coming summer.
