A bid to attract funding for a bypass to the east of Southend is the culmination of an eight-year campaign by MP Sir Teddy Taylor.
The Tory MP for Rochford and Southend East has hailed news of the £1.5bn bid as a "great breakthrough".
Last week, the East of England Regional Assembly applied for cash from the Government to fund plans for extra housing and development as part of Thames Gateway.
Part of this includes spending £30million on the first stage of an upgraded or new road from the A127 to the east of Southend. Sir Teddy feels this road is vital for residents in Shoebury.
He said: "For people coming from Shoebury out of town it is absolutely impossible with the amount of traffic.
"It is also very bad for the environment. It just makes life impossible for people in Shoebury.
"If the Government were planning to build more houses there I would oppose them until this new road gets built."
Published Monday May 24, 2004
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