Contractors working on major gas works in Braintree town centre have come across an unexpected wartime obstacle.
Engineers working on the first phase of the £230,000 project found their route blocked by the remains of "tank-traps" from the Second World War.
They consisted of huge concrete foundations, supporting pairs of solid iron posts, and were designed to hinder enemy progress in the event of an invasion
Although the posts had long since been removed, the foundations acted as a barrier to the laying of the new gas main.
Extra engineering work was needed to break through the concrete and negotiate the obstacle, resulting in a slight delay to the five-month project.
But a spokesman for gas pipeline operator Transco said it was confident the lost time could be made up and the scheme would finish by the scheduled date in December.
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