MORE than £5 million of funding is set to improve the county's road infrastructure including a major new bypass, it has been announced. The money has been allocated from a fund created by the Government to finance road schemes to support new housing.

MORE than £5 million of funding is set to improve the county's road infrastructure including a major new bypass, it has been announced.

The money has been allocated from a fund created by the Government to finance road schemes to support new housing.

The changes will see £4.8 million spent dualling the A131 Great Notley bypass, an area of large development near Braintree.

Council chiefs hope that by dualling the existing bypass it will help lessen the impact that thousands of new homes will have and improve connections to Stansted Airport.

Rodney Bass, Essex County Council's cabinet member for highways said: “Currently the Great Notley bypass acts as a severe constraint to further growth in the area.

“Braintree has experienced substantial housing growth over the last decade and a significant number of homes are already in the planning process.

“We have had serious concerns surrounding the impact that these additional homes will have on an already overburdened local and strategic road network. The funding announcement is great news for this strategic route.”

He welcomed the money from the Department for Transport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister but said it was “just the tip of the iceberg” with much more needed for the future.

He argued that there had been an historic under-spend on the county's roads and transport infrastructure.

Tenders for construction are currently being sought and construction is expected to be completed in early 2007.

Other funds announced by the Government will be used in the Bishops Stortford area.

n The Great Notley bypass scheme will be created between Notley Green Roundabout, Cuckoo Wood Roundabout and Queenborough Roundabout on land was set aside as part of the Great Notley residential development in the early 1990's.