Editing Chelmsford (section)

===Future transport plans===
[[File:Chelmsford North East Bypass.png|thumb|right|Map of route for the proposed new Chelmsford bypass]]

Proposals for a bypass of Chelmsford connecting the A12 interchange at [[Boreham]] (junction 19) and the [[A131 road (Great Britain)|A131]] were put forward for public consultation by [[Essex County Council]] in 2006; the preferred route was announced in March 2007. It comprises the creation of {{convert|7.9|km|mi|frac=16|abbr=on}} of two-lane dual carriageway and junctions connecting to the A12 and A131, it will sever 10 footpaths/bridleways and involve almost entirely greenfield construction.<ref name="ECC1">{{cite web
|url=http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/content/binaries/documents/Cabinet_Report_Chelmsford_N_E_Bypass_FINAL_VERSION.15-02-07.doc
|title=Cabinet Report Chelmsford NE Bypass
|publisher=[[Essex County Council]]
|access-date=18 November 2008
}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The scheme was estimated to cost £138&nbsp;million in March 2007<ref name="ECC1"/> but was increased to an estimated range of £229  – £262&nbsp;million in February 2008.<ref name="ECC2">{{cite web
|url=http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/content/binaries/documents/Chelmsford_North_East_Bypass/Chelmsford_NE_Bypass_consultation_Jan_2008_-_Board_9.pdf
|title=Chelmsford NE Bypass consultation January 2008 – Board 9 |publisher=[[Essex County Council]] |access-date=18 November 2008}}{{Dead link|date=June 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The scheme still requires funding and planning permission with applications timetabled for 2009–2011, a public inquiry timetabled for 2012 and with an estimated construction start date of 2014–2016.<ref name="ECC3">{{cite web
|url=http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/content/binaries/documents/Chelmsford_North_East_Bypass/Chelmsford_NE_Bypass_consultation_Jan_2008_-_Board_11.pdf
|title=When will the bypass happen?
|publisher=[[Essex County Council]]
|access-date=18 November 2008
}}{{Dead link|date=June 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The Chelmsford North Action Group (NAG) objects to this scheme, stating that Chelmsford was to "be engulfed by huge motorways connecting the Channel Ports, via a new [[Lower Thames Crossing]], [[A130 road|A130]], on to Stansted, M11 and A14".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://a130-chelmsford.blogspot.com/|title=Chelmsford North Action Group (NAG)}}</ref>

A second railway station, to be called [[Beaulieu Park railway station|Beaulieu Park]], has been proposed to serve the new Beaulieu housing developments to the north-east of Chelmsford.<ref>[http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/beaulieustation Chelmsford City Council – North Chelmsford: Beaulieu Park Station] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104205205/http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/beaulieustation |date=4 January 2016 }} (Accessed 9 June 2014)</ref><ref>[http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/Developers-pound-70m-infrastructure-deal/story-20799528-detail/story.html Essex Chronicle, 17 March 2014 – New homes plan for Chelmsford will see £70m boost to city] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712183932/http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/Developers-pound-70m-infrastructure-deal/story-20799528-detail/story.html |date=12 July 2014 }} (Accessed 9 June 2014)</ref> Work began in January 2023 and the station is set to open in late 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 December 2023 |title=Work at new Beaulieu Park station hit 'critical milestone' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6p17p36838o |access-date=4 January 2024 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>