Narrow lanes and a reduced speed limit are in force on the A13 this month as part of road widening works.

Thurrock Council’s £79million A13 project is one of the largest council-managed road schemes in the country and involves widening a 2.3 mile section of road from two to three lanes in both directions between the A128 (Orsett Cock roundabout) and the A1014 (The Manorway, Stanford-le-Hope).

Up until now most of the works have taken place off the carriageway, however road restrictions have been introduced to ensure the next phase of the project can be completed safely.

Various overnight lane closures and slip road closures have been in place on the A13 for from Monday 28 January while CCTV and average speed cameras are installed.

From Monday 25 February there have been a series of overnight closures on the A13 across 6 nights, from 9pm until 5am, to allow a temporary safety barrier to be installed at the roadside and for the lane widths to be narrowed:

  • Monday 25 February and Tuesday 26 February – A13 eastbound closed between the A128 (Orsett Cock) roundabout and the A1014 (Stanford-le-Hope) junction
  • Wednesday 27 February and Thursday 28 February – A13 closed in both directions between the A128 (Orsett Cock) roundabout and the A1014 (Stanford-le-Hope) junction
  • Friday 1 March and Saturday 2 March – A13 westbound closed between the A1014 (Stanford-le-Hope) junction and the A128 (Orsett Cock) roundabout

Clearly signed diversions will be in place via the A1013 Stanford Road.

A temporary 40mph speed restriction will be put in place from Monday 25 February until the completion of the project, with camera enforcement in use.

Wide vehicles, such as HGVs, will be banned from travelling in the lane closest to the central reservation.

Lane restrictions will also be in place on the entry and exit slip roads at the Orsett Cock and The Manorway junctions.

A free vehicle recovery service will be on stand-by to respond to broken down vehicles and other incidents.

Mark Coxshall, Thurrock councillor for regeneration, said: "We are doing everything possible to keep disruption at an absolute minimum during the widening works, but narrow lanes and a temporary speed limit must now be in place to ensure the safety of both workers and drivers.

"To minimise the impact, two lanes will remain open on the A13 in both directions during the daytime for this phase of work. Drivers are asked to drive carefully through the roadworks and pay attention to signs. I’d like to thank everyone in advance for their cooperation.

"Once the scheme is completed in autumn 2020 there will be a continuous three lane carriageway from the M25 to Stanford-le-Hope, reducing congestion, improving journey times and supporting further economic growth."

For more information about road restrictions, go to thurrock.gov.uk/a13

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