PLANS to create a new junction on the A12 at Colchester have received a boost after the Government indicated it would allocate more than £10million to the project.

Elliot Furniss

PLANS to create a new junction on the A12 at Colchester have received a boost after the Government indicated it would allocate more than £10million to the project.

To the delight of Essex County and Colchester Borough Councils, it seems work could start sooner than expected on the junction to the north of the town, which would open up the area, provide vital access to the town and help alleviate congestion.

The news came after a bid from Essex County Council for cash for the work from the Government's Community Infrastructure Fund was placed on the “gold list”, making it one of the top priorities.

Essex projects worth £33million made it onto the list and the new junction would take nearly a third of the total amount, although it has yet to be rubber-stamped by the Government.

Essex County Councillor John Jowers, who sits on its regional planning panel and is also a borough councillor for West Mersea, said it would be an “absolute godsend” for the town.

He said: “Norman Hume (Essex County Council head of highways) was really good and put some brilliant bids in and four or five of them came out on the gold list.

“One of those is the £10.2million for the Cuckoo Farm roundabout and that would be a godsend because it could be the key that unlocks it and solves all sorts of problems.

“But we won't know until the Government confirms it. They are the ones who are funding it but as it's on the gold list it looks pretty clear cut.”

The new junction would also help to alleviate expected match day traffic problems around the new Weston Homes Community Stadium, which is just weeks away from hosting its first game.

If built, the junction would offer access to the former Severalls Hospital site to the north of the dual-carriageway which is a possible site for a new park and ride scheme and housing development.

He added: “It would be such good news and would be the real lynch-pin of all the things the borough council and the county council want to do.

“We need to keep our fingers crossed that the Government will see it as a viable project.”