AFTER almost six months of disruption, roadworks on one of Southend’s busiest roundabouts are due to finish next week.

New traffic lights will finally be switched on at the A127 Tesco roundabout, on Sunday morning.

After 25 weeks, and £4.7million, contractors will pack up their tools and fully reopen the road.

Officials will then monitor traffic at the lights for three weeks and tweak the timing of the signals if they are thought to need it.

Palm trees have been planted around the roundabout and they they will be joined by a sapling, to be put in by senior borough councillor Martin Terry to mark the official completion of the project.

Although the work has caused delays and frustration for some commuters, Mr Terry, councillor responsible for transport, said he was pleased the work would be finished in time for the Easter break.

He said: “I’m delighted we’ve got the job completed.

It will be of great benefit to local traders and the leisure economy of the town.

“This is the first step in a continuing development, the next stage of which will be at Kent Elms Corner and the Bell junction.

“These will all help support developments at the Saxon and Nestuda Way business parks, creating 7,380 jobs over the next 15 years.

“Every junction we’ve worked on so far has been greatly improved, which is why the Government has invested £3.3million to help us provide the infrastructure for growth.”

Mark Hathaway, of contractor LaFarge Tarmac, said he had received only six complaints about the work and believed people were generally satisfied with the way the work had been carried out.

The council claims the reconfigured junction will be now be able to handle more traffic and make it easier for vehicles to exit from the Tesco side of the roundabout, Thanet Grange and over the next few weeks minor landscaping, site clearance and tidying works will be completed.

However, Mr Terry also called for patience from motorists.

He said: “Over the next few weeks work will continue to optimise the timing of the new traffic lights at the roundabout so that we achieve the best possible result in terms of traffic flows.

“During that short period the improvements to journey times may not be immediately apparent, so I would ask motorists to bear with us whilst the light timings are gradually being tweaked until they are operating at their best.”

THE roundabout’s palm trees are of a variety which can survive colder weather, as had been proven with the ones on the seafront.

Council arboriculturalist Denis Lloyd said: “Most palm trees can withstand temperatures as low as -10 or -15C and the three shorter ones we’ve planted were out here last year. We’ve just brought them back, so they shouldn’t have any problems.”

The completed improvements will include;

• Extra lanes on the roundabout and its approaches

• The introduction of intelligent traffic-light controls at the roundabout – like those installed at Cuckoo Corner - which will respond to traffic levels at the junction and manage traffic accordingly. New attractive landscaping, including at least 10 more trees and comprehensive planting

• New, safer signalled crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists

• A reconfigured roundabout at the junction of Nestuda Way and St Laurence Way to simplify the northbound approach and provide access to the future development site