A120 Braintree to A12

The programme of enhancements within the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) remains the mechanism through which new schemes, such as A120 Braintree to A12, are developed and their delivery planned.   In its Ministerial Statement to Parliament in March 2023, the government announced that work on the future pipeline of schemes that have been earmarked for RIS3 (covering 2025 to 2030) will now be considered for delivery as part of RIS4 (beyond 2030).

Start date TBC

End date TBC

Cost TBC

Project information

The A120 is a key route for the local and national economy. Commuters, freight, residents and businesses suffer daily lengthy delays on this single-carriageway road which costs the country millions of pounds every year.

In March 2020, the government announced details of the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) covering April 2020 to March 2025. The A120 Braintree to A12 was one of the ‘pipeline projects’ announced that would undergo further analysis and design work for consideration for potential future investment.

The proposals for improving this stretch of road, initially developed by Essex County Council (ECC), were transferred to National Highways in 2020. Since the transfer, National Highways has been validating and updating the work completed by ECC. This work has now concluded.

In its Ministerial Statement to Parliament in March 2023, the government announced that work on the future pipeline of schemes that have been earmarked for RIS3 (covering 2025 to 2030) will now be considered for delivery as part of RIS4 (beyond 2030).

The benefits of this scheme are:

Improving road safety: The scheme is expected to result in a significant reduction in collisions in this area, including on the existing A120 and the local roads used as ‘rat-runs’ when the A120 road is congested.
Improving user satisfaction: The scheme would reduce delays due to congestion, make journey times more reliable and increase the overall transport capacity of the A120 corridor. This would be expected to improve user satisfaction significantly, and this is demonstrated by the key concerns identified by the A120 non-statutory public consultation run by Essex County Council, and a survey of road user concerns run by Transport Focus.
Supporting the smooth flow of traffic: The scheme will make journey times more reliable by reducing delays from congestion, reducing the number of collisions and improving the resilience of road network. This will help the A120 corridor to cope with incidents such as collisions, breakdowns, road works and maintenance, and flooding.
Encouraging economic growth: The scheme is expected to reduce travel delays, underpin new housing and economic growth, and enable businesses to flourish.
Delivering better environmental outcomes: The scheme should give help reduce road noise.
Helping cyclists, walkers, and other vulnerable road users: Opportunities for providing new and better road crossings are being considered.
Achieving efficiency: The proposed routes would mainly be constructed away from the current A120 road, which helps to make construction schedules more reliable, as less road closures and roadworks are needed to complete the new road.
Keeping the road network in good condition: A new dual carriageway would replace around 9 miles (15km) of the A120 single carriageway which currently needs significant maintenance on its road surface.