Hauliers call for A120 to be dualled

By Juliette Maxam

ROAD transport representatives are calling for big improvements to one the region's main highways to Europe.

The Road Haulage Association's eastern area manager, Peter Butler, has been in Harwich to meet politicians and lorry drivers to discuss the A120 between the town and Hare Green.

Concerns were raised about the safety of the busy single carriageway road, especially if a new deep water container terminal is built at Bathside Bay, generating extra traffic.

Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, which has been campaigning for improvements to that stretch of the A120, Mr Butler said: "The A120 as it stands cannot cope. It's congested and dangerous.

"It's got to be dual carriageway. Also, there's got to be a truck stop put in, somewhere for trucks to wait if the port is closed."

Mr Butler added the truck stop should include facilities such as fuel pumps, a café, overnight accommodation and parking for 200 vehicles.

He said a farmer two or three miles away from Harwich had already shown an interest in building a truck stop on his land.

The Road Haulage Association will now take the matter to Parliament, raising the issue with Transport Secretary Alistair Darling.

In addition, Mr Butler said he would send the association's concerns to the Highways Agency and the Bathside Bay inquiry.

Last month Hutchison Ports, which owns Harwich International Port, told the planning inquiry into the Bathside Bay container port plan that it would fund improvements to the A120 if the new terminal was given the go-ahead.

The company has agreed that should planning consent for the Bathside Bay development be given, there would be a condition that the terminal would not be built until the Government ordered improvements to the A120, which Hutchison Ports would fund.

juliette.maxam@eadt.co.uk