A MULTI-MILLION pound plan of action has been put forward to solve traffic chaos at a notorious railway crossing.

Derek Monnery, chairman of the Manningtree Rail Users Association, has written a report to prevent “daily traffic jams” at the underpass and roundabout.

The chartered surveyor, who has used Manningtree Railway Station since 1983, said unless action is taken the peak time gridlock will only get worse as more homes are built nearby.

He said: “When the A12 is blocked queues up to 5km long can build up, as the rail crossing is totally unable to cope with large volumes of traffic.

“Comparatively cheap solutions such as traffic lights where the two parallel routes merge might make marginal improvements, but the fundamental problems of the level crossing and roundabout remain.

“A radical plan is needed that takes the bulk of the traffic away from the crossing and the station roundabout.”

Mr Monnery’s plan is for a two-lane bypass under the station that would link with Cox’s Hill on the south side and the A137 at a sharp bend on the north side.

The level crossing would be closed and the underpass, which is one-lane priority traffic, would only used by pedestrians and cyclists.

He expects the work would cost about £20 million to £25 million.

But it would mean the road is unaffected by trains with drivers able to avoid the roundabout at the bottom of Cox’s Hill in Lawford.

Mr Monnery added: “This would inevitably be expensive but would permanently remove this problem and greatly improve the economic wellbeing of the area. “Use of the station has massively increased since 1983, rising from 80 users then to over 1,500 today.

“With traffic continuing to grow in the area, stimulated by housebuilding on a large scale, the problems of the A137 and accessing the station will only get worse.

“Daily traffic jams in the Manningtree station area are a drain on the local economy, and these too will get worse.

“Doing nothing to improve the junction is not an option.

“Minor improvements such as installing traffic lights at the underpass are of dubious value, and could well make the situation even worse.”

Mr Monnery is hoping an organisation will take on the scheme, bring together interested parties, and find the funding needed.