COUNTY Hall has been accused of defeating the point of a multimillion pound road-widening project, after it announced plans to move a crossing on one of Basildon’s most notorious roads just 50m.

Essex County Council is set to move a crossing on Nethermayne, which is just before a new entrance to the Woodlands School.

Transport bosses have said they want to move it 50m, to align it with the school’s entrance.

This will mean it moves closer to Basildon Hospital roundabout.

The authority refused to tell the Echo howmuch moving the crossing a few metres would cost.

With motorists already facing delays at the site, County Hall and the Government have promised £3.3million to create an extra lane northbound to ease tailbacks.

In May, jubilant county councillors announced the multi-million pound scheme had been given the green light.

Drivers regularly complain about the road, with about 25,000 vehicles using the stretch ease day.

But Ukip county councillor for Westley Heights, Kerry Smith, said: “This completely defeats the point of widening the road.

“I always said the extra lane wouldn’t help because the pedestrian lights would hold up traffic regardless, and now they want to move it closer to the hospital roundabout.

“It’s just moving one problem elsewhere and shows the extra lane will simply be a gimmick.”

Mr Smith believes a safer option would be to build a crossing over the road as he would be concerned for pupils’ safety with the amount of traffic using the road.

The £3.3million improvements will see an extra lane added all the way from the hospital, to the Roundacre roundabout.

County Hall would not tell the Echo how much moving the crossing would cost.

County Hall is also considering putting in traffic lights before drivers reach Basildon Hospital, if motorists are travelling towards Basildon.

A spokesman said it would ease congestion for the hundreds of staff and visitors who face long waits to get out of the site at rush hour.

The Conservative-led authority will move the lights when it starts work on the extra lane in summer 2014.

A County Hall spokesman said: “Currently, the detailed design process for the Nethermayne improvements is ongoing