'Britain's worst road' investigated

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A former transport chief is to head an inquiry into "Britain's worst road" - after he and his wife were caught in a traffic jam on the A12 in Essex.

Sir David Rowlands, who retired as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport in May, will lead a three-day probe by Essex County Council into the route.

It is the first council-led inquiry into the performance of an existing road. The inquiry comes after the route was named the worst in Britain in a survey by Cornhill Insurance.

Sir David said: "When I was at the Department for Transport, I very carefully did not allow any personal interest to dictate what I or the department did," he said. "Now I'm retired, I can certainly help."

Lord Hanningfield, leader of the council, said the exact cost of the inquiry - to be held on April 17, May 1 and May 19 - was not known but was likely to be a "few thousand pounds". He added: "I think the A12 is possibly the worst road in the UK. Surely any Government would have to do something about that."

The inquiry will examine ways of improving the running of the route, safety measures and the possibility of widening the road to three lanes. The findings will then be presented to the Government as part of a bid to secure extra funding, the council said.

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