By Julia Salisbury

RECENTLY residents of Old Harlow were shown plans for the new junction 7a for the M11 by Essex County Council and its consultants.

The six-hour consultation at St John’s Ark in Old Harlow showed residents the proposed plans to ease traffic flow around the town.

Essex County Council claim that 15,000 planned new homes and 12,000 new jobs in the Harlow area will create congestion chaos unless improvements are made.

The proposed scheme is intended to answer the traffic management need.

The scheme will begin with the widening of Gilden Way from the London Road roundabout to Marsh Lane, to create a three-lane road.

From the end of Marsh Lane, a new road will be built to link the improved Gilden Way to the M11 via a new Sheering Road roundabout.

From this new Sheering Road roundabout, two links will rise to the new motorway roundabout junction on the Western side of the M11.

Two new roundabouts will be constructed on either side of the M11 and there will be slip roads on and off the M11 for both North and South bound traffic.

Essex County Council say this new road layout will improve accessibility to and from Harlow, reduce congestion and provide opportunities for housing and job growth in the wider Harlow area.

Councillor Rodney Bass, Cabinet Member of Infrastructure at Essex County Council said: “To make the most of the town’s opportunities, we need to make improvements and investment in roads and infrastructure.

“It is a big change, but it is necessary, and will benefit everybody in years to come.”

Subject to planning permission, Essex County Council has estimated that the scheme could be built by 2021.

Public consultations for the proposed scheme will run from 11th May until 6th July 2016.

If you wish to respond to the proposals shown at the consultation, please visit www.essex.gov.uk/junction7a , email [email protected] or post your response to Jacobs Ltd, PO Box 73575, London, SE1P 5YH.