Roadworks complete on England's 'worst' A-road

Major resurfacing works have finished on an A-road recently voted the worst in England.

Roadworks have become a familiar sight on the A12 between Marks Tey and Stanway in Essex, with the scheme originally due to finish in February 2024.

"Unexpected challenges" caused delays and rising costs, as a Freedom of Information request by the Daily Gazette revealed an overspend of £11m.

National Highways said: “The end of this scheme marks a significant milestone in our five-year national concrete roads enhancement project."

A contraflow system has been in place while the road's concrete carriageway was replaced with an asphalt surface.

Its completion will mark the end of a second major resurfacing project on the Essex stretch of the A12, as the Margaretting bypass reopened after 18 months of roadworks.

It has previously blamed "adverse weather conditions... and the discovery of poor ground conditions under the northbound carriageway" for delays to the project.

In a survey by watchdog Transport Focus, drivers voted the A12 from Suffolk to London England's worst road.

Reasons included potholes, road surface and roadworks, so with the end of the construction work, National Highways hopes this stretch will now offer a positive experience.

In a statement, it said the scheme "is helping ensure smoother and quieter journeys for thousands of motorists on the A12 for decades to come".

"We know that living, working, and travelling in and around a major construction project isn’t easy. Thank you to local residents and businesses for their patience while we’ve been carrying out this vital upgrade," it added.

It said that 48,000 tonnes of recycled old concrete road had been used and 26km (16 miles) of new white lines painted on.

Although the work is finished, there may still be the occasional lane closure as crew carry out final checks and remove equipment.

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