TRAFFIC travelling out of Southend on the A127 may be stopped from turning right into Rochford Road as part of a £5m drive to ease congestion at the Bell junction.

The proposal is one option suggested by Southend Council as part of a public consultation looking at tackling traffic queues and reducing air pollution at the key A127 junction.

Another proposal being considered is to add a dedicated slip road from the Southend-bound A127 into Rochford Road, allowing more capacity for motorists to remain on the A127 heading up to Cuckoo Corner.

The existing footbridge would also be removed to prevent the bridge supports from obstructing the new road layout.

The most costly of the three options proposes widening the road in order to accommodate a new pedestrian crossing system at both Hobleythick Lane and Rochford Road.

Councillor Mark Flewitt, who represents the St Laurence Ward, said: “I will support whatever option the majority of my residents see as best for them.

“Once this consultation closes, as ward councillors, we will have a look at what the preferred options are and be better informed with what people want.

“I will say that after all we’ve learnt from Kent Elms we will do our best to make sure that the utility companies don’t let us down again.”

The Kent Elms junction has been undergoing similar improvement works for several years and has been plagued with delays due to utility companies taking longer to complete work than estimated.

The £6.5million project has now overrun by almost 12 months.

At the beginning of the month, councillor Andrew Moring, cabinet member for infrastructure, called the Kent Elms junction the “most challenging” of all the junction improvements along the A127.

He also made assurances that lessons had been learnt and they were already being applied to Bell junction to stop the same mistakes.

Mr Flewitt, who is also responsible for public protection, added he is confident all the options within the public consultation will contribute towards reducing the high levels of nitrogen dioxide which have been recorded at the junction.

He said: “Any of these options are highly likely to solve the air quality issue because speedier traffic and less standstill will reduce the nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. I think in terms of solving that with these options, we are onto a relative certainty.”

The consultation will close on September 9.