A CAMPAIGNING villager fed up with constant traffic noise from the A14 and A11 junction claims she has won crucial measures to ease the problem after a 14-year fight.

A CAMPAIGNING villager fed up with constant traffic noise from the A14 and A11 junction claims she has won crucial measures to ease the problem after a 14-year fight.

Gillian Clarkson, of St. Martin's Close, Exning, near Newmarket, has lived close to the junction since 1991 and has been determined to tackle the noise pollution which means she cannot have her windows open at night or sit outside in peace.

She says suffers double the noise most residents who live close to major roads have to put up with because the A11 and A14 meet at Exning.

In 1991, St.Martin's Close Neighbourhood Watch set up a campaign to help combat the noise and, as the chairman of the A14 noise committee, Mrs Clarkson has written dozens of letters and won support from her local MP, Richard Spring, and the Highways Agency.

Official tests revealed there was a problem and now the campaigner says she has been told by Highways Agency officials that work to deaden the noise of speeding traffic is scheduled for 2007-8.

Mrs Clarkson said: “At the moment I can't even sit in my garden and it's even too noisy to leave windows open at night. In addition to the noise pollution, car fumes leave a dirty coating on our walls. It's not nice at all.”

In 1998, the Highway Agency agreed to plant hundreds of evergreen trees along the highway to help reduce the noise. Mrs Clarkson says the trees are now beginning to grow and she is hoping they will also obliterate the sight of the traffic.

Mrs Clarkson said: “The Highways agency have been very helpful. They are going over backwards to help us. They tell me as well as quieter road surfaces we are likely to get fencing too.

“We are due for maintenance work in 2007-8, so I'm told it's likely we'll receive the quieter road surfaces then. It's been a long hard struggle, but we now feel our work is done.”

No-one from the Highways Agency was available to comment about the scheduled work last night.

However, a spokesman said work to improve safety on the A11 T-junctions at nearby Moulton and Chippenham started yesterday and would continue for four days.

An anti-skid surface, new road studs and reflective chevron signs will be installed.

As a result, the northbound and southbound exit slip-roads will be closed and the A11 will be reduced to one lane past the T-junctions. Work will take place between 9.30am and 3.30pm and 8pm and 6am throughout the four days.