A176
A176 | ||||
Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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From: | One Tree Hill (TQ707863) | |||
To: | Billericay (TQ674940) | |||
Distance: | 5.7 miles (9.2 km) | |||
Meets: | A13, A1321, A1235, A127, A129 | |||
Former Number(s): | B1007 | |||
Primary Destinations | ||||
Highway Authorities | ||||
Traditional Counties | ||||
Route outline (key) | ||||
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For the former local road in the Middlesbrough area, see A176 (Stockton on Tees - Middlesbrough).
The A176 is a short A-road in south Essex.
The road starts on the A13 to the south of Basildon. This junction is a modified dumbbell with 3 roundabouts, which also provide access to the old A13 (now B1420 and B1464), all of which are met by the A176. It then continues north through the new town of Basildon as single carriageway. After going under the railway line it meets the B1007 and becomes dual. Indeed, the A176 is essentially an upgraded B1007 although in Basildon itself it is nowhere near the traditional route of that road.
The A176 continues north, turning left at the A1321 junction immediately afterwards. It continues on to meet the B148 and the A1235 at a roundabout just to the south of the junction with the A127 modified dumbbell.
We now lose our central reservation and shortly afterwards join what was the B1007. The road goes past the villages of Great and Little Burstead. It is more rural now. At the southern edge of Billericay a roundabout is reached where three of the four roads are numbered A176 (the fourth is unclassified).
The road to the left, Laindon Road, is one-way towards us so we have to bear right to end at the next roundabout on the A129 to the east of the town centre. The "extra" A176 can be explained by the fact that the A129 in Billericay itself is one-way westbound, so traffic heading east or south has to use Laindon Road to pass through town. This road starts at a roundabout on the A129 where the B1007 reappears and is only one-way for a short distance before the roundabout where it meets the main A176.
Original Author(s): Simon Hollett
History
The DfT Card Index from c2002 lists the A176 as a 'Link in Basildon' with no mention of Billericay. This previous shorter route appears to be supported by the 1969 OS quarter inch sheet, which shows an un-numbered A road on the course of the current A176, but only extending between the A13 and A127. The northward continuation at this time is still shown as the B1007. It is not currently clear when the A176 was extended to Billericay