A LEADING councillor has welcomed news a long-awaited project to widen the A12 has been given a share of £25 billion.

Chancellor Sajid Javid announced the cash pot as part of his speech at the Conservative Party Conference.

The plans to widen the A12 between Colchester and Chelmsford were initially announced in December 2014.

A consultation on the proposals was held in 2017 but the plans have since stalled.

The final amount for the A12 project has not been confirmed, but it is expected to cost between £100 million and £250 million.

Kevin Bentley, Essex County Council’s infrastructure boss, said: “The A12 is the transport backbone of Essex, so confirmation of funding to enable it to be widened to three lanes is welcome, and will help unlock the county’s true economic potential.

“Accidents on the county’s roads cause delays and congestion, which make journey times longer and increase costs for businesses, which in turn damages the local economy.

“By investing in our roads we can reduce congestion and more importantly improve safety, which will help make Essex a more attractive place to do business and drive economic growth and a safer place for drivers.”