WORK to build Colchester’s new A12 junction is three months ahead of schedule, but it will still be two years before it is fully integrated with the town’s road network.

The £12million junction at Cuckoo Farm is set to open early next year, but it will be summer 2012 before an extension to the Northern Approach Road, to link the junction to the town centre, is completed.

Essex County Council highways boss Norman Hume praised “excellent progress” on the junction and said he was “confident and determined” to see the link road built.

Until it is built, drivers will have to leave the road off at the junction and head into town via the already congested Axial Way, Severalls Lane and Ipswich Road.

Mr Hume said: “We should focus on the positives here and this junction is ahead of time, on budget and will make it much easier for people to get to the stadium, business park and local housing.

“I’m delighted this is happening for north Colchester, which needs this infrastructure to go with the major development it has had in recent years.”

The scheme was originally to be funded by developers building on the former Severalls Hospital site, which has been earmarked for 1,500 homes.

When the recession put paid to that, the county council won Government money to build just the junction.

County Hall is working with North Essex Partnership NHS Trust, which owns the land, and the Homes and Communities Agency to fund the £9million link road.

Public money would be used, but repaid by developers as the Severalls site is developed.

Mr Hume said: “We are tying down the details on the forward funding agreement and if it wasn’t done this way, I cannot say how long we would be waiting for the link road to be done.”