Who the hell would put a gas main under a major route? This has caused absolute chaos this morning. I would like to know who is to blame for this. It's also down to years of underinvestment in the roads network. why should such a densely-opulated urban area like south Essex be with just two ineffective roads? it beggars belief.

The same thing happened around the time they started the resurfacing work between the weir and A130 about 5-10 years ago. It was closed both ways then, with the whole area strongly smelling of gas. It has always smelt as you drive past it. They do some work, it goes away then a couple of months later it is back.

does anyone know if they will be opening the a127 today?

I wouldnt bet on it Chris, you know what emergancy works are like, they will find another problem and keep it closed all night again.

This has caused such a big problem on the roads today.

There was utter chaos on the A13 roundabout this morning! Where was the Police presence? Are they incapable of displaying initiative and forethought. Nothing moved on that roundabout as drivers , predictably, were jumping the lights and consequently there were no gaps on the roundabout to allow drivers to move onto it and achieve a flow of traffic off the A127. It needed Police Officers there, out of their cars maintaining order and directing traffic. Absolutely pathetic Policing and senior officers are to blame.

Its a gas leak...Gas is highly explosive its got to be fixed, as for gas mains under the roads where else can they go apart from under ground how about in pipes overhead...

if you dont have pipes ging under roads how are you going to connect the network as one, having no gas pipes going under roads would mean every block would need its own gas drilling and refining station.

WHy is everyone blaming the position of the gas pipe. Shouldnt the contractors who hit it be blamed, I mean surely it isnt that hard to see if there is a pipe near where you are digging and avoid it

There's been a strong gas smell on the southend bound approach to Fortune of War - watch this space

This is the second morning this week, that the roads in South Essex have been affected by problems of one sort or another. On Monday it was a fatal accident at Standford that closed the A13 and forced everyone onto the A127. This morning it is a gas leak at Rayleigh that closes one carriageway of the A127 and forces people onto the A13. Canvey Island will be virtually cutoff from next week for six weeks due to road works and more congestion is expected on the A13 at Saddlers Farm. Rayleigh High Street closes at the end of July for six weeks and the Eastwood/Rayleigh road has been restricted for what seems like years, with everyone travelling down the A127. When oh when are the local and county councils responsible for these vital arterial routes into and out of one of the busiest areas of the county going to do something constructive about the roads situation. We don't need average speed cameras or road restrictions, we need proper roads capable of taken the amount of traffic on them now and with the capcity for the future. We need proper alternative routes in the event that such incidents as this morning occur and we need people to accept that the car will not go away but is a fact of life.

Martin wrote:
There's been a strong gas smell on the southend bound approach to Fortune of War - watch this space

I smelt the gas last night on my way home Martin. It's roughly half a mile from the fortune of war chicane in the same place as the lorry accident last week.

gt wrote:
This is the second morning this week, that the roads in South Essex have been affected by problems of one sort or another. On Monday it was a fatal accident at Standford that closed the A13 and forced everyone onto the A127. This morning it is a gas leak at Rayleigh that closes one carriageway of the A127 and forces people onto the A13. Canvey Island will be virtually cutoff from next week for six weeks due to road works and more congestion is expected on the A13 at Saddlers Farm. Rayleigh High Street closes at the end of July for six weeks and the Eastwood/Rayleigh road has been restricted for what seems like years, with everyone travelling down the A127. When oh when are the local and county councils responsible for these vital arterial routes into and out of one of the busiest areas of the county going to do something constructive about the roads situation. We don't need average speed cameras or road restrictions, we need proper roads capable of taken the amount of traffic on them now and with the capcity for the future. We need proper alternative routes in the event that such incidents as this morning occur and we need people to accept that the car will not go away but is a fact of life.

Give planning permission for more flats!!!

gt wrote:
This is the second morning this week, that the roads in South Essex have been affected by problems of one sort or another. On Monday it was a fatal accident at Standford that closed the A13 and forced everyone onto the A127. This morning it is a gas leak at Rayleigh that closes one carriageway of the A127 and forces people onto the A13. Canvey Island will be virtually cutoff from next week for six weeks due to road works and more congestion is expected on the A13 at Saddlers Farm. Rayleigh High Street closes at the end of July for six weeks and the Eastwood/Rayleigh road has been restricted for what seems like years, with everyone travelling down the A127. When oh when are the local and county councils responsible for these vital arterial routes into and out of one of the busiest areas of the county going to do something constructive about the roads situation. We don't need average speed cameras or road restrictions, we need proper roads capable of taken the amount of traffic on them now and with the capcity for the future. We need proper alternative routes in the event that such incidents as this morning occur and we need people to accept that the car will not go away but is a fact of life.

If we all think it's bad now, what on earth will happen when the new Thames Gateway port opens at Corringham in a few years!!

Totall agree that a police presence at the sadlers farm roundabout area would have really eased things this morning.

It took me 3 and a half hours to get from south woodham ferris to southend airport this morning.

Shrimpers till i die wrote:
Totall agree that a police presence at the sadlers farm roundabout area would have really eased things this morning. It took me 3 and a half hours to get from south woodham ferris to southend airport this morning.

i agree it took me from 7am till 10.30 to get from basildon a127 to hullbridge..
hope the contractors will get a good telling off....

wellblowme wrote:

Martin wrote: There's been a strong gas smell on the southend bound approach to Fortune of War - watch this space

I smelt the gas last night on my way home Martin. It's roughly half a mile from the fortune of war chicane in the same place as the lorry accident last week.

That smell has been present there for literally more than 10 years.

An outrage to society. On-going problems with A13/A127. Us muppets that live in Canvey Island will have nothing but greif in the next coming week dues to "bridge maintance". We should all have courtasy boats as an alternative transport. Build another frigen road

cowboycontractors wrote:
WHy is everyone blaming the position of the gas pipe. Shouldnt the contractors who hit it be blamed, I mean surely it isnt that hard to see if there is a pipe near where you are digging and avoid it

contractors don't care they just stic the drill or bucket in and make a mess, goodness knows what problems/tailbacksth
e gas work road closures in Rayleigh High Street will.

Help is the a127 still shut southend way??

chris wrote:
does anyone know if they will be opening the a127 today?

It opened again at about 3pm

Didn't take long to get to Southend this morning. Lovely to go up to Progress road with no queues.

Around 3pm it was clear from the M25 to Nevendon.

TJ wrote:

wellblowme wrote:

Martin wrote: There's been a strong gas smell on the southend bound approach to Fortune of War - watch this space

I smelt the gas last night on my way home Martin. It's roughly half a mile from the fortune of war chicane in the same place as the lorry accident last week.

That smell has been present there for literally more than 10 years.

My mistake, I never realised the smell was the Laindon Chavettes!!

APR wrote:
Didn't take long to get to Southend this morning. Lovely to go up to Progress road with no queues.

Never takes long to get in and out of Southend; but that's because I choose to cycle the journey :) It's only 15 to 20 miles a day (depending on route) but usually works out quicker than driving.

It's on days like yesterday that you really appreciate riding past all the queues and knowing your journey is still going to take exactly the same time as usual.