Weary users of the A13 can treat themselves to a lie-in, thanks to a hard-working road maintenance team.

Roadworks costing £750,000, between Pitsea's Tesco and the Five Bells roundabout, have been completed two weeks early, meaning drivers no longer have to leave earlier for work to avoid queues.

The job, due to finish in April, was completed early by a company from Maldon.

The work was needed to repair damage to areas of the road's original concrete and to lay a new, thin-layer surface.

This is expected to provide drivers with higher wheel friction and also improve levels of contrast between the road and white lines.

Ecstatic driver, Peter Berry, uses the route every day from his home in Rayleigh Weir to work in Dunton.

He said: "It's the end of a nightmare. Ever since January I've been having to get up 15 minutes earlier every day, just for the pleasure of sitting in traffic.

"The fact that the works have been completed earlier than expected is a real shot in the arm for drivers.

"Hopefully, everything will get back to normal now and people can stop clogging up back-roads to avoid the trouble."

A spokesman for the council's transportation department was also quick to praise the speed with which the job was done.

He said: "Considering the site has approximately 50,000 cars passing through it every day, we think that the contractors did an excellent job."

He added: "More importantly, we'd like to thank Essex motorists for their patience throughout all of the disruption."

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