£9m Government funding for two A120 pinch-point schemes

The Government is to contribute nearly £9million towards the cost of two schemes on the A120 in Essex.The Department for Transport (DfT) is to fund improvements to the junction of the A120 and M11 near Stansted Airport, and to a junction on the A120 at Braintree.It is hoped the schemes will help traffic heading to and from Stansted Airport from the east and the west and ease two serious bottlenecks.£4.09m has been promised by the DfT towards a £10m project to upgrade Junction 8 on the M11. It has been identified as a pinch point for commuters and holidaymakers using the M11, A120 and nearby Stansted Airport.The scheme is being part-funded by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) and the Greater Cambridgeshire and Peterborough LEP as well as Stansted Airport.£4.95m has also been pledged towards new slip roads linking the A120 to Millennium Way giving much-needed relief to the pinch-point at Galleys Corner, which sees long queues at rush hour.The scheme will provide better access to Freeport Shopping Village, and take pressure off through-traffic travelling along the A120 on towards east Essex.Given the scheme’s importance to accommodating growth it is being part funded by Braintree District Council, Highways England and Essex County Council.