RESIDENTS in Stanford-le-Hope have been put on alert for two days of disruption to traffic flows while Thurrock Council carry out emergency repairs to two main roads in the town later this month.

Thurrock Council has announced that it will be carrying out carriageway resurfacing to a section of London Road between Stanford Road and Park Road – and that will mean the closure of the junction with Butts Lane.

Work is planned for two consecutive days on Sunday, 14 and Monday, 15 February from 9.30am to 3.30pm. During this period traffic will be controlled by a multi-way signal and bus stops adjacent to the work will be suspended and parking bays outside 58 to 64 London Road will be suspended.

With the Butts Lane junction closed traffic on Butts Lane will be expected to follow a signed diversion route via Butts Lane, Walton Hall Road, Buckingham Hill Road and Stanford Road and vice-versa – though residents in the area have already expressed concerns that what will happen in reality is traffic will divert via 'rat runs' on Rayleigh Road, Valmar Avenue, Prospect Avenue and Ruskin Road rather than make a diversion of several miles.

In September areas of London Road that are now to be resurfaced were repainted and in recent months speed bumps and road markings have also been put down.

Ward councillor Terry Piccolo explains that it was not possible to combine that work as the resurfacing is an unforeseen emergency repair.

He told Thurrock Nub News: "This is being done out of the emergency budget for road repairs. This budget is an amount of money put aside each year in case of emergency repairs due to the road surface being damaged by car accidents, spillages etc.

"It cannot be carried over so around this time of the year they look to see what works are in the pipeline for early next year and complete these to free up more money from next year's budget.

"It wouldn't have been known in September that there would still be money available out of this year's emergency budget so that is why we are now seeing a number of repairs being done in the next six weeks."