SIGNIFICANT changes are set to be made to one of south Essex's busiest junction where the A127 meets the A130 and A13, but it is not the first time our major roads undergone a makeover.
Essex County Council has agreed to appoint a firm to carry out major improvements to the Fairglen Junction. Awarding the contract now will allow the scheme to start in 2025 and be completed in 2027.
The scheme has been developed for 10 years and aims to address congestion and safety issues at the junction, which is used by more than 200,000 drivers everyday.
All of us have spent countless hours stuck in queues along the A127.
Some things never change - traffic at the junction with the A130 for Benfleet and Canvey in 1988
Ahead of the impending changes, we have delved into the Echo archive to show how dramatically the layout of the A127 has changed over the decades.
Beginnings - the cutting had to be made at Rayleigh Weir to allow the road to pass through
Major junctions like the Fortune of War roundabout and the Fairglen Interchange have been redesigned as surrounding areas have grown.
For instance, many of you will remember when the Fortune of War was actually a fully-functional roundabout.
When you could go all the way around - the Fortune of War roundabout in Laindon in 1985
The building of new routes, such as the A130, have also resulted in changes being made.
Despite the changes, the amount of traffic has increased as each decade passes by.
Lane closure - motorists move into a single lane due to roadworks near the Fortune of War in September 1987
The upcoming Fairglen project includes a new link road that will provide a direct route from the A130 southbound to the A1245, from where traffic can easily access the A127, at the Fairglen Roundabout.
A new dedicated left-turn lane from the A1245 to the A127 eastbound will also be built, bypassing the roundabout, with a new dedicated slip lane and existing slip road. The Rayleigh Spur Roundabout will also be enlarged with additional lanes and traffic lights on two of the three arms.
Standing in the way of motorists - traffic being redirected at Rayleigh in 1980
Scroll down to see more images of the A127 from years gone by.
Road to nowhere - the Fortune of War junction in 1989, before Willowfield and High Road were linked up
Of benefit to those not travelling by car - a pedestrian walkway was built over the A127 near the Fortune of War roundabout in 1988
How times have changed - the junction of the A127 and the old A130 in 1982
Changes being made - a new overpass was built when the Fairglen Interchange was created
Fields - iconic vehicles use the A127 to drive past a rather different-looking Basildon in 1976
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