WORK to improve, repair and strengthen many highways and bridges in the county to take place while the road network is quieter says Essex County Council.

More repairs to roads, pavements and structures in Essex will be carried out over the next six weeks as crews make the most of lower traffic levels during the school summer holidays.

During the school holidays, there’s fewer commuters and less peak-time traffic. This means work can be rolled out to make roads safer and improve their condition so more active travel can take place.

Making the most of the quieter period will mean residents will benefit from much improved roads and other highway assets, improving their travelling experience.

As residents travel around the county over the summer holidays, there may be more traffic management, such as temporary traffic lights, in place to help protect crews and drivers while works are completed.

In other locations, there may be diversions as Essex Highways needs to keep vehicles away from certain roads or bridges so more complex improvements can take place.

This means some travellers may face delays. However, information about road closures will be made available in advance to allow residents and businesses time to make alternative arrangements.

Residents are asked to be respectful to operatives carrying out repairs. Essex Highways crews always strive to work as quickly and efficiently as possible to minimise disruption.

As well as Essex Highways crews, third-party utility companies will also be looking to take advantage of quieter roads to complete as many infrastructure repairs and upgrades as possible.

Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure, and Sustainable Transport at Essex County Council said: “Improving the roads of Essex to make it safer, greener and healthier for the county’s residents to travel is my number one priority.

“The school holidays, where traffic tends to be quieter, provides crews with an excellent opportunity to carry out much-needed repairs to improve our roads. But it’s also a time of year where many of us might be travelling for days out or for holidays, so I’d like to remind residents to check and plan before they travel to minimise any delays.”

Some significant closures starting in the next few weeks include:

Bonhunt Bridge on Wicken Road, Newport, which is due to be closed for one week from Monday 19 August so vital strengthening works can take place
Petersfield Bridge, Chelmsford, is due to be closed from Monday 5 August for two weeks so essential maintenance can take place to extend the life of the structure
Harrows Bridge in Pound Lane, Benfleet, will be closed for one week from Monday 12 August to carry out essential brickwork repairs.
To check where the latest road works are happening in Essex, visit: www.one.network/public.