A NEW slip road on the A120 has been given the green light – potentially spelling the end of lengthy tailbacks that have dogged motorists for years.

The development is designed to relieve traffic congestion at Galleys Corner Roundabout as a medium-term solution, in advance of a longer-term and separate improvement scheme for the A120 that Highways England is currently progressing.

Essex County Council voted unanimously for the project at a meeting on Friday.

The A120 at Galleys Corner roundabout is severely over capacity at peak times and this has a significant impact on the movement of traffic along the A120 in the wider area.

During the morning peak period traffic queues can extend from Galleys Corner to Marks Farm roundabout, almost a mile away.

Significant delays also occur at weekends and traffic monitoring over the past three years reveals the delays have become more frequent and increased in length.

Following the successful award of £4.95million in funding, two new slip roads on the A120 at Millennium Way are to be built to allow drivers to directly access the B1018 and relieve congestion further along at Galleys Corner.

Essex County Council says this improved access would help to accommodate further growth in the local area, stimulating additional commercial investment and job creation along the A120 in Essex.

The scheme will also help to improve air quality.

County Hall development spokesman John Jowers said: “Certainly stopping cars in two-mile long queues sitting there pumping out fumes outweighs the loss of some of the rather scrubby tree planting.”