"IMMEDIATE investment is needed" in Benfleet’s roads following days of traffic chaos after a water main burst near Saddlers Farm Roundabout.

The A13 in Benfleet has been closed westbound since Wednesday afternoon after a 15-inch water main burst.

Essex & Suffolk Water has pledged to fully reopen the road by “this evening at the latest” as emergency repairs wreak havoc on south Essex’s roads.

On Wednesday evening, long queues formed across Benfleet and Canvey as teams worked to fix the burst main.

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Crews worked overnight to repair the water main, but the westbound lanes remain closed as workmen relay the damaged road.

On Thursday morning, the chaos on the roads was repeated, with vehicles brought to a standstill between the B1006 High Road in Tarpots and the A130 at Sadlers Farm.

“It took me an hour and a half to drive less than two miles from Rayleigh High Street to the Virgin Active on the A129 as I tried to get home on Wednesday evening,” councillor Russell Savage said.

“We have gas and water main that are 100 years old and ultimately this is going to keep on happening until serious money is spent on our infrastructure.

“It’s really affecting the residents’ wellbeing, there are people missing hospital appointments, turning up to work two hours late, it’s just totally unacceptable.”

He added: “When that road goes, it blocks up the whole of south Essex, as people from Southend and Basildon drive through Benfleet as well.”

A spokesman Essex & Suffolk Water said: “Our teams worked incredibly hard throughout the Wednesday in order to carry out a repair, which was completed in the early hours of this morning and saw little-to-no impact to customer supplies.

“Now that the pipe has been repaired, a reinstatement of the road needs to be completed before it can be reopened.  Contractors have started work on this and are currently relaying the damaged section of the road. We expect the road to be reopened by Friday evening at the latest.

“We would like to thank our customers for their patience at this time.”