An MP has asked the government to grant funding to help ease congestion at Havering’s busiest road junction.

Last week the Recorder featured a letter from Dave Ainsworth, of Barnstaple Road, Harold Hill, who drew attention to a new government pledge to invest �170million on 57 “pinch points” in the national road network.

He wrote: “Surely the infamous Gallows Corner should be on such a list? It daily adds much (and unacceptable) time to working commuters’ journeys while also giving an appalling road accident history.”

Hornchurch and Upminster MP Angela Watkinson said on Monday: “I have already asked the Secretary of State for Transport to consider Gallows Corner for long overdue attention from this new funding.”

Many readers have joined the calls. Sue Cook wrote on the Recorder Facebook page: “Quite agree. I live in Harold Hill and Gallows Corner is a terrible junction. A complete “free for all” and dangerous. Drivers tear round it.”

Tom McCluskey said: “Even something as simple as making the road markings clearer would help.”

Angela L said on the Streetlife website: “Maybe they need an overpass branching over to the A12.”

But Barry said on Streetlife: “Unless many millions are spent on underpasses and flyovers the only thing that could be done is a system of traffic lights used in conjunction with the existing roundabout. Will probably not speed up traffic but would make it safer.”

The last work on the junction was completed in 2009 when its flyover – built in 1970 as a temporary structure with a life expectancy of 15 years – was refurbished.

A spokesman for Transport for London (TfL) said: “TfL recently completed a year long maintenance programme to extend the life of the Gallows Corner flyover, this work has helped minimise the need for any further large scale maintenance for at least a decade.

“There would need to be a substantial investment to redesign it completely which is not possible in our current investment programme. However, as with all locations on TfL Road Network, we will keep the area under review to see whether further improvements could be delivered in the future.”

The Department for Transport said the government was due to announce a number of other roads which will have extra money spent on them in the new year.