Over the last three years, a number of road improvements have been delivered in Harlow, or are planned for the near future, as part of the broader Transport Strategy overseen by the Harlow Stansted Gateway Transportation Board and with the input of Harlow Renaissance. These works have been funded through a variety of sources – Essex County Council, Community Infrastructure Fund (through the Department of Transport) and the Growth Areas Fund (administered by Harlow Council and Harlow Renaissance).
These improvements include:
- Completion of Phase 2 of the 1st Avenue Multi Modal corridor was achieved in February 2010. It was officially opened by ECC Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, Cllr Norman Hume, and was attended by a wide range of local representatives together with the Minister of Transport and officials from the Department for Transport and the Homes and Communities Agency.
- Completion of the improvements to the A414 between the Southern Way roundabout and the M11 in early 2011. This provides dual carriageway in both directions to increase capacity as well as creating a new junction at Southern Way designed to increase traffic flow at peak times.
- At the northern end of the A414 in Harlow a new scheme has been developed to improve the road between the Burnt Mill roundabout and Eastwick. Design work has been completed, including the provision of new bridges across the River Stort, the Stort Navigation and the West Anglia Main Line as well as an improved Burnt Mill roundabout. The scheme will be implemented, and completed, during 2011.
- Finally, a study is currently underway to examine the issues concerning traffic congestion on Southern Way. This seeks to tackle the fact that the road provides a dual function – that of a local distributor road as well as being a strategic connection between the motorway and the Pinnacles industrial estate. With future housing developments also likely in this area some action will be required. The study will complete by the spring of 2011 with some recommendations for future action.