BASILDON Council is set to throw its backing behind Essex County Council’s proposed improvements to the Fairglen Interchange.

A public consultation is currently running on a host of proposed improvements to the A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange, which currently experiences long traffic jams during peak periods and high volumes of traffic throughout the day.

Safety concerns have also been raised, with a significant number of car crashes. The crashes have been attributed to poor line of sight for drivers and incorrect lane use.

Now Basildon Council is set to issue its support to the short-term plan, as well as offering to work with the county council long term, if its response is approved by the infrastructure growth and development committee at a meeting tomorrow night.

The short term plan will see a new ‘Southend Link Road’ north of the railway line from the A130, with a new junction with traffic lights on the A1245, restricted to right turns only, and widened sliproads on all Fairglen roundabout arms.

There would also be improvements at Rayleigh Spur Roundabout, including traffic lights at two arms of the junction, and an additional lane on the roundabout itself, as well as a new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists linking to existing routes alongside the A127.

The scheme has been tested as part of Basildon Council’s housing plan, and the council believe the work will successfully mitigate the impact of growth proposed.

The council report said: “It is recommended that the committee approves a consultation response which strongly supports the proposed short-term scheme presented, on the basis that it will provide much needed congestion relief and resilience to a key point on the highway network, not only for Basildon borough residents, but for residents of the south Essex region as a whole.

“Whilst the consultation is not seeking feedback on the longer-term option for the A127 /A130 Fairglen Interchange, it is recommended that Basildon Council demonstrates its support for the development of a long-term strategy for the junction given the likely increase in traffic movements as modelled as part of the evidence base to support the Basildon Borough Local Plan.”