GALLEYS Corner is set for a facelift after The Highways Agency allocated £300,000 to improve the notorious traffic hotspot.
Next year work will begin to widen the roundabout in a bid to encourage cars using the A120 to use both lanes.
The project is part of a £217 million national programme to remove the worst bottlenecks on England's motorways and major A roads.
The works are expected to ease the burden on local businesses that lose income while stuck in Galleys Corner's infamous traffic jams.
Braintree Chamber of Commerce chair Brenda Baker said: "Traffic around Braintree is a real issue for business so anything that can help is a plus.
"The situation is so dire around the roundabout that any improvement would be very welcome."
But for others the proposed measures do not go far enough and some believe they will have little impact on congestion at a roundabout that has long featured in the county's traffic bulletins.
Graham Butland, leader at Braintree District Council, said: "It can't do any harm but the money was a little less than I would have liked. It seems to me that the A120 needs more than a couple of inches added to the roundabout."
Green councillor James Abbott said the problems at Galleys Corner were of Braintree District Council's own making.
"So much development has been allowed around Galleys Corner. It means it has had to cope with through traffic, local traffic and drivers heading to places like Freeport.
"The combination has been a nightmare scenario and one that was fairly inevitable."
He thought congestion at the roundabout would only improve if local traffic was separated from cars using the A120 by a flyover.
"You need a proper solution rather than a little tinkering," he added.
Announcing the plans, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "These £217million road improvements prove the Government's determination to accelerate growth and cut congestion.
"Keeping traffic moving is vital to securing prosperity. By removing bottlenecks and improving access to local enterprise zones, key international trading ports and communities, these road schemes will help get people to and from work and power the economy.
"They also have the potential to help deliver more than 300,000 new jobs and 150,000 new homes."
Around £22million has been earmarked for the east of England region.
