CAMPAIGNERS have raised grave concerns about the impact of toxic fumes on young schoolchildren if proposed A12 expansion plans go ahead.

Road bosses are set to widen the major route to three lanes between Chelmsford and Marks Tey in the coming years.

The major route is due to become three lanes in both directions from junction 19 at Boreham to junction 25 at Marks Tey.

Highways chiefs say this is needed, not only to ease congestion, but to make the road safer.

Blueprints for the second junction at Kelvedon – junction 24 – will see it moved back west along the A12 and will link up with Inworth Road.

It is also being moved because a new bypass is being built between Kelvedon and Marks Tey which will see the A12 between the two villages moved south.

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But campaigners from the Messing Action Group strongly oppose the plans which they believe will have a “catastrophic” impact on the village.

Andrew Harding, who is also a Messing parish councillor, said: “The proposed junction 24 at the top of Kelvedon Road will become a rat run for traffic avoiding Tiptree.

“The traffic numbers forecasted by National Highways indicate there will be an increase of more than 100 vehicles per hour if this plan goes ahead.

“Given this is the A12, we are talking about HGVs passing through the village. The damage being done to hedges and people’s property will be catastrophic as large vehicles will have to force their way through.

“The traffic will come down Kelvedon Road into Messing – an ancient village which cannot handle traffic – and the whole area will become gridlocked.”

Mr Harding said there was also concerns about how the traffic will impact families and young children walking to the village primary school.

He added: “Children are going to be walking on the roads at peak times when they will be used heavily by trucks.

“All these vehicles are going to thunder by and will be coming up hills, so their foot will be down and therefore emitting toxic fumes. The emission is going to be immense and children will be breathing it in.”