THOUSANDS of motorists will see their journeys radically improved before the 2012 Olympic Games if a £63million Essex road improvement scheme is approved.

Essex County Council is now consulting over the plan to ease jams at the notorious "magic roundabout" series of junctions at Sadlers Farm, Benfleet. The scheme will connect the A13 and A130 with a bypass, allowing traffic to avoid the current tangle of six mini-roundabouts.

Highways bosses believe the proposed changes, including a slip road from Canvey Way to the A13, will reduce rush-hour congestion for Canvey, Benfleet and Basildon drivers.

It will also lead to shorter journey times between Basildon, Southend and Chelmsford.

Norman Hume, county councillor responsible for highways, said: "It should massively benefit local communities in south Essex, like Benfleet and Canvey, reducing congestion and lowering journey times for thousands every day.

"This will have a knock-on positive effect for local businesses and residents."

Following years of planning, the finalised scheme has been revealed by Essex County Council. The project will be considered within 16 weeks.

The road scheme has been revised from early plans to use a flyover over the roundabout following opposition.

The new scheme includes: l Widening the A13 from Pitsea to Sadlers Farm roundabout.

l Expanding the A130 from the roundabout to Rayleigh Spur roundabout to three lanes in each direction.

l Creating a bypass linking the A13 to A130, to avoid the roundabout, which would travel underneath London Road at Bowers Gifford, before crossing farmland and Sadlers Hall Business Park.

l Transforming the Sadlers Farm series of mini roundabouts into one larger junction with four lanes controlled by traffic lights.

l Developing two-lane slip roads on and off the A130 onto the roundabout and separate slip roads linking the A13 to Canvey Way, avoiding the junction.

The revised route involves digging a trench for the new bypass from the A13 to A130.

The bypass will travel beneath the B1464 London Road and two separate slip roads connecting the A13 and A130 to the roundabout, meaning three bridges will be needed to support these roads.

London Road will also be widened as it nears the roundabout, allowing for a bus lane and two-way cycle and pedestrian route.

Mr Hume said County Hall would select the contractor to carry out the work in September.

Five hopeful firms have already been whittled down and their bids are being considered.

He said: "Because of concern over the amount of construction workers needed for the Olympics we made it a requirement of their bids to show how they could supply the men and materials to get this done before the Olympics.

"These changes are vital because of the changes looming under the Thames Gateway regeneration, in order to be able to deal with the large expected increases in traffic."

If the plans are approved later this year, and are not called in by the Department for Communities and local Government for a final say, work could begin by 2009.

It is hoped the new network will open in 2011.