A £9m scheme to resurface the A12 in Essex is due to start in September.

The work, which will begin on September 20 and last for approximately three months, will provide a quieter and safer road surface for the benefit of drivers and residents.

The major maintenance includes the strengthening and the resurfacing of three miles (4.5km) of the A12 in both directions between the Kelvedon North Interchange (J24) and Marks Tey (J25) near Colchester.

Overnight preparation work will start tonight to set up site offices and install CCTV and safety cameras. This work will require some overnight lane closures.

Highways Agency project manager Julian O'Dell, said: "This section of the A12 has reached the end of its useful life. The new surface will provide a safer and smoother journey for drivers and help cut noise for nearby residents. Improvements to safety barriers, signage and road markings will aid driver safety and reduce the potential for accidents along this busy stretch of the A12."

Work will also include the installation of new and bigger lay-bys, improvements to road drainage and the addition of a hard strip to both sides of the carriageway.

The main phase of work will start on Monday 20 September when there will be lane restrictions and a 24-hour contraflow in operation.

The project is expected to last until December, and to keep traffic flowing during busy periods, two lanes of the A12 will be open in both directions during the following hours: Monday - Friday between 5am-10pm, Saturday 8am-10pm, and Sunday 9am-10pm.

Most nights, the A12 will be reduced to one lane in each direction, and Easthorpe Road and various slip roads will be closed overnight during the scheme.

Published Tuesday August 31, 2004

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