THE most popular route option for the new dualled A120 has been chosen by the public.

Essex County Council launched an eight-week consultation in January on five potential route options for an upgrade to the current single carriageway A120 between Braintree and the A12 at Marks Tey.

In total, 2,795 people responded to the consultation with Option C, which runs through Bradwell Quarry to Marks Tey, being chosen by 29 percent of respondents.

Option E runs from the A120 near Galleys Corner to a new junction on the A12 at Kelvedon, and received 27 percent of votes.

These were followed by Option A with 17 percent, Option D with 14 percent and Option B with 13 percent.

However, Essex County Council deputy leader Kevin Bentley, said the decision will not come down to a popularity contest, and said that he wants to create “an A120 that works for everyone”.

He said: “More than four out of five people believe an upgrade is needed to the A120 and that is why we are now building a water-tight case for funding to build an improved A120.

“As you can see from the raw data, there’s no clear standout route everyone agrees on as a first choice but this consultation was never supposed to be merely a popularity contest.

“We are digging into the detail of the consultation responses at the minute to help us determine a route option that is not only works for our residents, but delivers the best economic contribution for our businesses and those who use the A120 on a daily basis while of course paying close attention to the environmental impacts.”

From those who responded to the consolation, 82 percent agreed that the road needed to be upgraded to a dual carriageway.

Mr Bentley said: “It is vital we get this right and that is why we are unlikely to be recommend a favoured route option, or options, to the Government until the autumn.

"This is a marathon, not a sprint, and I intend to work tirelessly with our partners over the coming months to help lay the ground work for an A120 that works for everyone."