Due to the heavy rainfall throughout the last month Essex County Council has had to revise some of the completion dates for the remaining elements of the Sadlers Farm Junction Improvement Scheme.

Sadlers Farm Bridge is now scheduled to open on Friday 18 May. This is because the bridge needs to be coated in a waterproof surface layer before the main road surface is laid. The bridge deck surface must be completely dry for at least half a day after application, and due to the heavy rainfall this has not yet been possible.

The delay to the Sadlers Farm Bridge opening means that the Southbound Strategic Link is now scheduled to open on Friday 8 June. In order for the Southbound Strategic Link to be completed a section of the old A13 needs to be broken out first, which cannot be done until the Sadlers Farm Bridge is open.

The new signals on the Sadlers Farm Roundabout are still scheduled to be operational on 31 May. The new Sadlers Hall Bridge, new Church Road Bridge and the Northbound Strategic Link are all now open. Deconstruction of the old Church Road Bridge has also taken place.

There will be some final work taking place once the scheme is open to traffic, with all work completed and away from the network by 27 June.

County Councillor Derrick Louis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation said: “It is unfortunate that we have just experienced the wettest April on record. The adverse weather conditions have made it impossible to apply the waterproof surface layer required at Sadlers Farm Bridge. I would like to apologise for the slight delay this will cause to the opening of the Southbound Strategic Link, and any inconvenience this may cause.

“We are now in the final stages of this major scheme which will bring benefits to residents once completed, including faster and more reliable journeys."