THE road between Marks Tey and Braintree has been branded one of the most dangerous single carriageways in England.

The 12-mile stretch of the A120 is the tenth worst, according to the Road Safety Foundation.

The report looks at the protection provided if vehicles career off the road, the risk of head-on collisions and the safety of junctions. The A120 has been given two stars out of four.

The Government scrapped a £500million project to dual the road in July.

Nigel Fitch, chairman of Marks Tey Parish Council, welcomed the report.

He said: “We have been telling the Highways Agency this for years.

“The road is 20ft wide in some places and, with lorries overtaking, cyclists and pedestrians, it’s a terribly dangerous road.

“We have been trying to get a 30mph speed limit there. Now, at last, someone has agreed with us.”

Lady Newton, district councillor for Coggeshall, said: “It is very helpful to have a respected organisation such as the Road Safety Foundation confirming what we as locals already know about the A120.

“I hope this will help us in making our case to the Highways Agency to call for more improvements to deal with the unsatisfactory situation we have at present.”

Dr Joanne Hill, director of the Road Safety Foundation, said: “Single carriageways lack most of the safety features that would protect road users and almost two-thirds get an overall rating of two stars.

“Some 91 per cent fail to reach high standards for run-off. Head-on collisions are prevented only by road markings. Where road sections have junctions, few layouts rate well.”

Only half of the motorways looked after by the Highways Agency reached the four-star level in the foundation’s report, while 78 per cent of dual carriageways reached three stars.

The report’s star levels are based upon the European Road Assessment Programme.

Tim Roberts, Highways Agency spokesman, said roads in England were among the safest in the world.

He added: “Single-carriageway roads – which represent one fifth of the Highways Agency network – are by their very nature less likely to score as high as motorways and dual carriageways.

safety campaign RESIDENTS in Coggeshall and Earls Colne, backed by their parish councils, have been campaigning for urgent safety improvements to the A120/B1024 Colne Road junction.

There have been a number of near-misses and accidents involving traffic pulling out of the staggered junction.

More than 2,000 people have signed a petition since November.

Millie Sullivan, of Tilkey Road, Coggeshall, who has helped to organise the campaign, said she hoped the road safety figures would be a spur for action.

She added: “I know it is a terrible economic time to do this, but, on the other hand, it is a very, very dangerous road “We were hopeful they would complete the connection right through to the A12, going across from where it ends in Braintree.

“Now they have scrapped that scheme.”

Bypass plan linked to homes PARTS of the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey could be made into a dual carriageway, if plans for up to 10,000 homes are approved.

A consortium of landowners is offering to pay to dual part of the A120 as part of the plans.

The scheme would involve a Marks Tey bypass linking the A120 at Coggeshall to a new junction on the A12 and a second stretch of the A120 near Braintree.

Another 4,000 homes are planned for land east of Braintree.

Details of the proposals go on show next month at three locations – St Peter’s Hall, Stoneham Street, Coggeshall, on Tuesday, February 2 (2pm-6.30pm); St Paul’s Church, Hay Lane South, Braintree, on Thursday, February 4 (3pm-8pm) and Marks Tey village hall, Old London Road, Marks Tey, on Saturday February 6 (2pm-5pm).