Work on a new dual carriageway link from A12 to Stansted could start in the next four years, a meeting has heard this week.

The new road would then replace the existing A120 from Marks Tey to Braintree.

Plans to build the new road from the A12 to Braintree, where it would link into the existing dual carriageway to the airport, have been in the pipeline for many years, is being taken forward by Highways England after the Government announced funding to progress the project earlier this year.

The virtual meeting of MPs, local politicians, business and community representatives heard a preferred route for the dual carriageway could be announced at the end of next year, reports the East Anglian Daily Times.

Essex County Council deputy leader Kevin Bentley, who hosted the progress meeting, said: “I am pleased we now have the combined weight of the Department for Transport and Highways England progressing delivery of this much-needed scheme, which I now very much hope will become a reality in the next three or four years.

“The A120 upgrade is vital to solve issues from congestion, delays, poor resilience and safety to poor air quality and noise from lorries in local villages. Plus, the scheme is equally important to bring about business expansion, new jobs and housing.”

David Burch, Director of Policy at Essex Chambers of Commerce, said the importance of the A120 for businesses could not be understated.

He said: “The road network is good if you are travelling north-south but heading east-west it is dire. We know the hold-ups our members experience and the effect it has, not just in terms of time but also money and business lost. We want to build back after Covid-19 and Brexit and we need to have a modern efficient road network across the county to do that.”