Speaking in Transport Questions, James Cleverly presses the case for interim measures to relieve congestion on the A120 ahead of the construction of the new dual carriageway link between Braintree and the A12.
Traffic Congestion: A120
James Cleverly (Braintree) (Con)
2. What steps his Department is taking to reduce congestion on the A120. [906913]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jesse Norman)
As my hon. Friend will know, the Department has provided up to £4 million of funding to Essex County Council to support the development of proposals for improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Colchester. The council consulted on options last year and announced its favoured route in June 2018. My Department is now considering whether or not to include the scheme in the next road investment strategy, which will be published next year.
James Cleverly
The Minister will be aware that the A120 around Braintree is a road so heavily and regularly congested that my constituents regularly cut through Braintree to bypass the bypass. We welcome the money for the preferred route option, but will the Minister ensure that he will also consider any interim measure to relieve congestion?
Jesse Norman
Aware, Mr Speaker? How could I not be aware? My hon. Friend has been indefatigable; in fact, few parliamentarians in any Parliament could have matched his energy and zeal in pressing the case for the A120. He has been terrier-like in his lobbying, and he can take it from me that the Minister has been duly terrierised.
Mr Speaker
I hope that the hon. Gentleman will have that tribute framed and erected in a suitable location in his home. We look forward to an update on that in due course.