A new bypass and flood scheme in the Hertfordshire village of Little Hadham is set to alleviate congestion and provide more reliable journey times.

Work began on the A120 Little Hadham Bypass and Flood Alleviation Scheme earlier this week, Tuesday 23 July.

Contractor GRAHAM is completing the new 3.9km bypass, which will include the construction of new road embankments along the River Ash and Albury Tributary to act as flood defences to reduce risk.

Jonathan Kerr, GRAHAM Contracts Director, said: "We're very pleased to be officially starting work on the new A120 Bypass (Little Hadham Bypass) and Flood Alleviation Scheme. This is a scheme our team is proud to be delivering, and we recognise the importance it will have for residents and the local community once complete, providing faster journey times, and also reducing flood risk in the area.

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"We are looking forward to working collaboratively with Hertfordshire County Council, the Environment Agency, their stakeholders and the local community throughout this vital highway project for the village of Little Hadham and the wider area."

Representatives from Hertfordshire County Council, Local Enterprise Partnership, Environment Agency, Department for Transport and East Herts Council joined GRAHAM at the site to celebrate the start of the project.

Phil Bibby, Cabinet Member for Highways and Environment, added: "It's great news that works are getting under way on this long-awaited scheme. The A120 is a vital link in Hertfordshire, connecting the A10 to Stansted Airport, and it's important that we invest in improving the route. The Little Hadham Bypass will help support the growth we're expecting in the county while improving quality of life in the village.

"With around 100,000 new homes expected in Hertfordshire by 2031, it's vital that we invest in key schemes to improve the road network to keep the county moving and our economy thriving as the population grows."

The works are expected to take around 18 months with the new bypass opening to traffic at the end of 2020.

(CM/MH)