MAJOR improvements to one of the busiest junctions in south Essex will begin next year.

The Fairglen Interchange, which connects the A127, A130, A13 and A1245, is soon to be getting a £28million facelift from Essex County Council to ease traffic congestion over the next 15 years.

The council has allocated the funds to the short-term improvements to the junction, used by tens of thousands of vehicles every day, in its capital programme to be spent up to 2022.

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The short term plans were green lit in February following results of a public consultation.

They have four main sections; a new link road from the A130 to the A127 via the A1245, strengthening the Fairglen and Rayleigh Spur roundabouts, and increased safe walking and cycling access.

The one-way link road will provide a direct route from the southbound carriageway of the A130 to the A1245, where it will be able to better access the A127.

It will widen from one to two lanes at the traffic signals to relieve pressure on the Rayleigh Spur roundabout, being accessed by a single-lane slip road, hooking up to the A1245 by a traffic light controlled junction with two right-hand-turn lanes.

The Rayleigh Spur roundabout itself will be enlarged with more lanes, with traffic lights on two of the three arms, including new ones on the A130 southbound and northbound approaches, with the southbound exit expanding from two lanes to three, merging into two just before joining the highway.

The Fairglen roundabout will see a new dedicated left turn lane from the A1245 to the A127 eastbound, bypassing the roundabout.

The slip lanes for traffic exiting the A127 eastbound will increase to four, the lanes for westbound traffic entering the A127 from the roundabout will expand to two, and the lanes for westbound traffic leaving the road for the roundabout will increase to three.

There will be another southbound lane from the roundabout to the start of the Rayleigh spur bypass.

A new bridge will also be installed for cyclists and pedestrians just south of Fairglen, which will link to the existing paths along the A127.