A NEW bypass will be installed along the A12 to ease congestion and reduce journey times.

Highways England has announced it plans to move the notoriously busy stretch of road between Marks Tey and Kelvedon south.

The road, which will be made into three lanes in both directions, will run parallel with the existing A12 before reconnecting with junction 25 at Marks Tey.

Junction 24 will also be moved west along the current A12 route and will link up with Inworth Road, which connects Kelvedon and Tiptree.

Bosses say the confirmed route was a popular option when it was presented to residents during a public consultation.

A number of other options have been scrapped following the ruling on the north Essex garden communities.

A planning inspector has ruled the 24,000 home garden community at Marks Tey is “undeliverable”.

Several options for the new A12 had been designed on the basis the garden community would be given the go ahead.

Highways England’s project lead Stephen Elderkin said: “We said in our 2019 consultation that if the proposed garden community homes did not go ahead, our preferred route would be based on our 2017 consultation.

“The second choice from the 2017 consultation has been selected, as a bypass had the most support from respondents.

“Our selection considered several other factors, including environmental impact, journey times, complexity of build, affordability, feedback from the public and of course the recent advice given by the planning inspector on the joint local plan.”

Highways England hopes the widening of the A12 between Marks Tey and Chelmsford will save drivers around an hour of travel time each week.

Roads Minister, Baroness Vere, said: “The A12 is a vital route for people commuting between Suffolk, Essex and London, and for businesses that rely on the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich.

“These upgrades will help boost local economies, improve journeys for commuters and link up businesses.”

The existing A12 road between Kelvedon and Marks Tey will be downgraded and retained for use by residents in the area.

The widening scheme is expected to be complete by 2028.