BIN collections are set to be affected from next week as a busy south Essex road is set to shut.

Essex Way, in Benfleet, is a key route linking Hadleigh and Benfleet with Canvey. The road is set to be closed for 17 days at the beginning of April as Cadent completes a series of major gasworks.

The closure, starting from March 29, is expected to cause disruption for drivers in the area - forcing Castle Point Council to announce changes to its bin collections.

Collections will take place on normal collection days during the closure period, however waste will be collected at 7am.

Normal collection times will resume once works are completed.

The closure is part of the £3.4 million project to replace old iron gas mains with “more durable” plastic pipes in Benfleet and Canvey to ensure “reliable gas supplies” to homes and businesses.

The road will be closed between High Road and School Lane, next to the Anchor Inn pub and the Mumtaz Mahal restaurant.

Alongside the Essex Way closure, Vicarage Hill will close from April 15 to May 3, while Kents Hill Road, near Bowers Road, will close from March 30 to April 14.