EXASPERATED Thurrock councillors have called for an end to delays in getting a newly-widened section of the A13 up to speed by "jetting in" a computer chip needed for lighting the road if necessary.

The A13 Stanford-le-Hope by-pass, which has been widened from two to three lanes in both directions, from the junction with the A128 Orsett Cock roundabout, currently has a temporary 50mph speed limit. This ,will not be raised to 70mph until January 2023 when the scheme is expected to be fully completed.

Delays in installing lighting, which should have been completed in July, have been cited for the hold up.

Speaking at a planning, transport and regeneration overview and scrutiny committee meeting its, chairman Cllr Alex Anderson said: "I'm glad we are where we are at the moment and it's great having three lanes as opposed to two but the thing that's coming up is frustration over these lights.

"We're looking to get it done by January but is that a fingers crossed we'd like it to be done by then, or as the issue is supply chain delays and the manufacture of equipment, do we know it's coming?

Mr Anderson was informed it was a "best guestimate" by Kevin Munnelly, Thurrock's assistant director of regeneration and place delivery.

Cllr Rob Gledhill said as former council leader he had been told they were waiting for parts in May and an expected two month wait for a computer chip for the lighting equipment had now turned into nine months.

He said: "I find it a little bit odd, and I'm being polite there, that for the sake of a couple of chips required to get this up and running that there isn't a stock somewhere that we would be able to draw from.

"There's probably not a factory in China that all they do is push out chips for this particular type of work but I would assume there would be a stock somewhere."

Cllr Gledhill added: "I can't think of any other road system that's being put in place at the moment that's being held up because they haven't got chips for control units.

"It just seems to be dragging on continuously for something that can be pumped out in ten minutes in a factory somewhere and posted over or flown over by jet if necessary to finish this off and get the speed back up to what we were expecting."

Priot tot he meeting there was speculation the the council were deliberately delaying the work because it can't afford to pay for it. This has been denied by the authority but the wait goes on.