MOTORISTS have been warned to brace themselves for 17 days of severe disruption as a major south Essex road closes for a £3.3million gasworks project.

Essex Way, in Benfleet, is a key route linking Hadleigh and Benfleet with Canvey.

The road will be closed for 17 days as Cadent completes a series of major gasworks.

The closure will start on March 29 as part of the £3.4 million project to replace old iron gas mains with “more durable” plastic pipes in Benfleet and Canvey to ensure “reliable gas supplies” to homes and businesses.

The road will be closed between High Road and School Lane, next to the Anchor Inn pub and the Mumtaz Mahal restaurant.

Alongside the Essex Way closure, Vicarage Hill will close from April 15 to May 3, while Kents Hill Road, near Bowers Road, will close from March 30 to April 14.

Andrew Sheldon, Essex county councillor responsible for South Benfleet, said: “These works will be disruptive, but they need to be done. Cadent are investing millions to make our local gas network more resilient after we had a summer of emergency gas works spring up around leaks across Benfleet a few years ago.

“I have been working closely with Cadent to table these works, and I requested they do them over the school holiday, so it doesn’t disrupt school runs. There will be delays on the roads around there but however, residents should plan extra time for their journeys between these dates.”

Residents have also raised concerns on social media about the closure and the chaos it will cause.

A spokesman for Cadent spokesperson said: “In February 2023, Cadent announced a two-year investment project of over £3.4 million in the gas network, in Benfleet and Canvey.

“The project involves replacing 13km [over eight miles] of the old metallic pipes, with new more durable plastic pipes in the area, to ensure a safe and reliable gas supply for the future.

“The work is being completed in phases, smaller sections at a time, to enable us to reduce the disruption to road users and the communities.

“Work will restart the end of March and businesses and residents will be informed of the work and the traffic management over the next few weeks. We appreciate that no one likes roadworks but we have worked very closely with the local authority to plan these works to reduce disruption where possible. However, this is essential work to help improve the gas network for the area.”