£8m upgrade on the A127 will tackle queues at problem junctions

An £8million investment includes improvements at Rayleigh Weir and the Nevendon turnoff.

The money will be spent on a series of projects taking place over the next five years.

At Rayleigh Weir, traffic is currently held up because traffic light at the junction are not linked.

A council report said: “The Rayleigh Weir junction suffers from vehicles on the east-bound exit slip backing up on to the mainline A127.

“Apart from the volume of traffic, this is mainly caused by the signals at Stadium Way not being linked to the signals at Rayleigh Weir.”

The upgrade will see both sets of traffic lights linked up in a bid to clear queueing traffic.

Ray Howard, deputy councillor responsible for highways, said: “What we have to realise is Southend is the largest population district in Essex, and people only have two choices getting in and out.

“The A13 is substandard, as you have to go through places like Leigh and Hadleigh, so it is vital we keep upgrading the A127 as much as we can.

“The council’s intention is to have three lanes along the A127, which is vital and needed, but we have to walk before we can run.

“I welcome this money, as anything we can do to improve the infrastructure in south Essex is significant.”

The project is able to go ahead after the Department for Transport released £4million of funding.

The remainder of the funding is made up of £3million from Essex County Council and £1million from contracts signed with developers as part of planning agreements.

It includes £250,000 from Bellway Homes as part of an agreement for the Oakwood Grange development, located close to the A127 in Basildon.

The project will also see “irregular” signs directing traffic to London and the M25 fixed, mostly in the Rayleigh Weir area.

Extra variable message signs, advising drivers about accidents and possible diversion routes, will also be installed along the road.

'UPGRADE ROADS BEFORE BUILDING HOMES'

IMPROVEMENTS to the busy Nevendon junction should take place before major new housing projects go-ahead, a councillor believes.

The A127 investment scheme, set to be approved by county councillors on Tuesday *oct 20*, includes spending £2.4million to increase capacity at the junction.

A council report said: “The interchange suffers from significant congestion at peak times, resulting in queues along the slip roads and onto the main A127 carriageway.”

Changes will include:

• Widening the road to three lanes on the roundabout below the A127
• Extending the merging lanes on Nevendon Road, heading towards Wickford
• Upgrading traffic lights to improve traffic flow at peak times
• Closing access to the junction from Christopher Martin Road, improving flow for traffic coming from Cranes Farm Road and Pitsea

Extra land will need to be purchased for the road widening to take place, and talks are underway with Basildon Council and business groups about the scheme.

Councillor Peter Holliman has called for a footbridge or subway to keep traffic flowing in Nevendon Road

Peter Holliman, leader of the Wickford Ukip group, has welcomed the investment, but warns the improvements may simply move traffic problems elsewhere.

He said: “Considering the number of homes proposed over the next few years, it makes perfect sense to beef up the infrastructure before any homes are built.

“It is a good idea, but the downside is as soon as you improve any one section of the road, more cars use it and it moves the blockage a little further down.”

Mr Holliman believes attempts to ease queues along the Nevendon Road exit towards Wickford will only be successful if a new pedestrian crossing across the road is created.

There is currently a traffic light crossing, near the Bekash restaurant, which regularly holds up traffic.

Mr Holliman said: “You get pedestrians crossing when there is an enormous amount of traffic and you often find it can be one person holding cars up all the way back to the A127.

“There needs to be either a bridge or a subway.”