MEMBERS of the public have been given a fresh glimpse of multimillion pound plans to install a new road between Braintree and Chelmsford.

The North Chelmsford bypass will connect the Deres Bridge junction on the A131 - near Great Leighs - with junction 19 of the A12 at Boreham.

Essex Highways says the £252m scheme is being built to ease congestion in Chelmsford and provide direct access to the new Beaulieu train station.

But bosses also hope it will cut journey times for the 7,000 Braintree residents who commute and work in Chelmsford everyday.

The latest plans were unveiled in a virtual exhibition which was held online earlier this week and members of the public were asked to provide feedback.

Speaking ahead of the exhibition, Essex County Council’s infrastructure boss Kevin Bentley said: “The project will provide a key strategic link in the road network between the A120, A131 and the A12 which will in turn reduce congestion in and around the city of Chelmsford and enable improved sustainable transport corridors.

“The bypass, and associated sustainable transport links, will enable access to the new Beaulieu Park railway station.

“Overall, the project will make commuting easier, provide better links to the wider region and support businesses, jobs and housing growth.”

Construction work on the 8km bypass could begin as early as 2022, with the first half of the scheme completed by 2024.

Building work on the Beaulieu Station won’t begin before 2024.

When complete, the station will offer commuters a 40 minute journey into London via train and provide residents in Braintree with an alternative to the branch line route.

Essex County Council is providing £218m in funding for the scheme, with the remaining £34m provided by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership and developers Countryside Zest.

It is hoped the bypass will also provide improved infrastructure ahead of the construction of 14,000 new homes between Braintree and Chelmsford.