EMERGENCY works are being carried out on part of the A120 near Wix after concrete underneath the surface broke.

The section of the westbound carriageway has been closed since Tuesday night for safety reasons.

A Highways England spokesperson said: “We became aware on Tuesday afternoon of an issue with some of the concrete surfacing on the westbound A120 Wix Bypass and immediately installed two-way traffic signals along the section affected for safety reasons."

Repair work was due to be carried out last night with a diversion route in place for all westbound traffic.

It comes after Harwich and North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin revealed roads bosses were considering a possible new project to completely rebuild the road in March.

He said the concrete base of the A120 near Harwich, laid about 50 years ago, is reaching the end of its lifespan with the substructure now failing.

There are hopes that if plans go ahead to replace the road between 2020 and 2025 then the section of the A120 from Hare Green or Horsley Cross to Harwich could be turned into a dual carriageway at the same time.

The Standard has launched a campaign calling on the Government to fund the dualling.

To sign the petition visit petition.parliament.uk/petitions/221123