JUST three months after Thurrock Council 'confirmed' work on the much-delayed and over budget A13 widening project would be completed by the end of the year, a report to councillors next week says the project will now run into 2022.

And there is no update on the projected final cost of the scheme, despite the fact that councillors have previously asked to be kept fully updated. Councillors have been told there is now a 'revised target cost for the scheme.'

In a report to next Tuesday's (5 October) meeting of the council's planning, transport, regeneration overview and scrutiny committee interim assistant director for regeneration and place delivery Colin Black tells councillors the scheme is now set to run to at least January 2022.

In July the council was insistent that the project would meet its previously stated deadline of 31 December.

Mr Black has now blurred those boundaries, saying: "The current accepted programme has an anticipated planned completion date of January 2022" and on the cost he is reticent to give details.

He refers to the work carried out by consultants Aecom, which Nub News exclusively revealed earlier this year has been paid millions to work on the A13 and other projects, including the Stanford rail station rebuilding. And that contractors Kier have agreed new figures – though these have not yet been revealed.

Mr Black says: "The team worked closely with Aecom and Kier during the first six months of 2021 to produce, agree and sign a Deed of Variation and a Settlement Agreement. These agreements encompass all of the risks and outstanding compensation events up until the end of 2020 (including Covid in 2020) and provide a revised target cost for the scheme.

"These agreements are considered to be hugely beneficial for the council in that they reduce risk and provide more programme and cost certainty."

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