The landmark announcment that the A12 is set to become three lanes will bring jobs and millions of pounds of investment to Witham, it has been claimed.

The Government announced this week it would finally heed decades of calls and a third lane to the A12 between Chelmsford and Colchester.

The work should aloso improve safety along the stretch, which includes junctions at Witham, Hatfield Peverel and Kelvedon, and is one of the busiest and most dangerous stretches of road in the country.

Although detailed blueprints are yet to be drawn up and work may not start until 2020, the announcement has been hailed as a huge boost for Witham.

Town councillor Corinne Thompson, chairman of Witham’s Town Team and the Chamber of Commerce, said the investment will hand Witham “the power”.

She said: “Anything that improves the traffic flow to and from Witham is going to be excellent.

See this week's Witham Times for the full story.