End is in sight for traffic lights at busy Benfleet road (From Echo)
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End is in sight for traffic lights at busy Benfleet road
4:00pm Thursday 7th February 2013 in Local News
Restrictions - Ferry Road closed to one lane
TROUBLESOME traffic lights at a busy Benfleet road will be gone by the end of the week as the £4million renovation of Benfleet Railway Bridge is set to finish.
Restrictions have been in place on Ferry Road since the start of January due to the road being flooded and ongoing repairs being carried out to the bridge as part of investment from Network Rail.
The lights have caused misery for motorists who have been forced to endure long tailbacks along Ferry Road, High Road, and Essex Way between 9:30am and 3:30pm.
Representatives from Essex County Council held a meeting with contractors this week who said they were set to be finished by Saturday.
County councillor Ray Howard said: “We were told the work is expected to last another four days, but the contractors assured us the work would be completed sooner if possible.
“I have had so many people contact me who are understandably frustrated by the work and closure to the road there. But it was a very positive meeting and hopefully by the end of the week there will be an end to the inconvenience residents have had to suffer recently.”
Ferry Road is one of only two routes linking Canvey to the mainland.
The news has been welcomed by residents and drivers who regularly travel through the underpass.
Paul Iliffe, 55, of St Mary’s Drive, Benfleet, said: “I am extremely pleased to hear this. It’s been an absolute nightmare for weeks. I came back from Basildon the other day and made the mistake of going that way home and was queuing for ages to get home.
“It is extremely disappointing we were never made aware the road would be closed for this long and how much of an inconvenience this work would pose on us. I’ll be glad when it’s all over.”
Comments(10)
mys842
says...
4:21pm Thu 7 Feb 13
HadleighBoy
says...
5:10pm Thu 7 Feb 13
boyracer21 wrote:I think BoyRacer "Idiot" sum up my thoughts on your comment
Its good when your cycling down that road at those busy times. You simply overtake all those annoyed car drivers and I have the cheek to go straight through the red light too. I ama very dangerous road user when it comes to cycling and driving!!
GentleGiant
says...
5:18pm Thu 7 Feb 13
I do not recall railtrack saying it would take 8 weeks??!!
or is Essex County Council to blame again?
John T Pharro
says...
8:23pm Thu 7 Feb 13
GentleGiant wrote:You are right, but I had to laugh, or I would have cried, when there was our MP, Councillor Howard and two other Councillors photographed saying weeks ago the work was finished with the road still in contra flow behind. The next day Essex CC said it could go on until June.
Thought this was going to be completed over Christmas / New Year?
I do not recall railtrack saying it would take 8 weeks??!!
or is Essex County Council to blame again?
You really could not write the script could you?
Carnabackable
says...
8:25pm Thu 7 Feb 13
mys842 wrote:It's Nasty for good reason, it's the road to Hell, Canvey..
What a nasty looking road!
Steve H
says...
11:16pm Thu 7 Feb 13
Rail bridge over Ferry Road....still not completed after 6 weeks.
WTF??!!
madmark50484
says...
1:30am Sat 9 Feb 13
Steve H wrote:not quite true the flooding was not part of the plan the bridge was replaced fine
Rail bridge in Southend Town Centre....replaced in 2 days.
Rail bridge over Ferry Road....still not completed after 6 weeks.
WTF??!!
alfie28
says...
4:52pm Sat 9 Feb 13
madmark50484 wrote:Whilst the side going to Canvey regularly flooded, I don't remember that being the case on the Benfleet bound side until the few weeks before Christmas when they had night closures and were piling tonnes of mud on the road over night and on top of the drains!
Steve H wrote:not quite true the flooding was not part of the plan the bridge was replaced fine
Rail bridge in Southend Town Centre....replaced in 2 days.
Rail bridge over Ferry Road....still not completed after 6 weeks.
WTF??!!
Carnabackable
says...
7:24pm Sat 9 Feb 13
boyracer21 says...
4:09pm Thu 7 Feb 13