BAA and Essex County Council have been accused of building a road that helps Stansted grow rather than creating a solution to traffic growth.
The last 11-mile section of the new dual carriageway A120 linking Braintree and Dunmow has just opened.
But the Green Party labelled the road, which links Braintree to the M11 and Stansted airport, as 'a missed opportunity'.
Braintree councillor and Essex Green Party co-ordinator James Abbott said: "The best part of £100m has been spent on building a major strategic road through open countryside which has the aim of facilitating the growth of Stansted airport and carrying yet more HGVs, including from the east coast ports.
"BAA must be very pleased that such huge sums of taxpayers' money have been spent on helping their airport grow faster, putting even more planes and noise into the skies of Essex."
Mark Pendlington, BAA Stansted's director of communications, responded: "The bypass has been welcomed with open arms by local residents who have suffered heavy congestion and pollution through their villages for many years.
"It will not only vastly improve public transport links to and from the airport, and reduce journey times, but will be a key strategic link for the East of England."
Published Wednesday July 28, 2004
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