Motorists have been warned to expect long jams when major roadworks start on the A12 Witham bypass.

Highways bosses have confirmed the works will start in April and could last for four months.

It will be a similar project to last winter's resurfacing at Hatfield Peverel, which caused long queues.

The Witham bypass will be improved with upgraded carriageways and more safety features, such as lighting.

Bob Wiltshire, Essex County Council highways officer, said that during the work, the Highways Agency planned to temporarily shut the junction slip road on to the southbound A12 for safety reasons.

Mr Wiltshire added that county council plans to revise the Coleman's Bridge junction and introduce traffic lights there would be delayed until 2004, after the work on the A12 is completed.

Town councillors were concerned that the slip road closure will lead to far more traffic from industrial estates travelling through the town centre to join the A12 at the Witham southern junction.

Phil Barlow (Lab, Chipping Hill) said: "The objective we've always had is to allow access and exit especially for heavy goods vehicles there, because we've got the heavy goods vehicle ban in the south and we want to ensure the vehicles have enough room to manoeuvre.

"With the southbound slip road closed, a lot more traffic will flow through Witham."

Town councillors have supported the revised junction scheme for the Coleman's Bridge interchange, to which it had previously expressed objections, and agreed to lobby the county council to prevent the southbound on-slip being closed during the roadworks.

The Highways Agency is in the middle of a ten-year project to upgrade the carriageways and lighting on the A12, all the way from the M25 to the Colchester northern interchange.

Works are currently under way on the second section of the A12 Brentwood bypass.

Minor improvement work is due to take place on the Kelvedon bypass in February.

Published Friday November 8, 2002

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette