AN additional �11m invested by Essex County Council to fix potholes is being put to good use, with over 10,000 repaired since the beginning of July.

The investment has been made to repair the damage caused to the county’s roads following the severe weather extremes of recent months. The first phase of the repair programme is targeting the number of outstanding defects waiting for repair across the county.

In order to fix as many potholes as possible, Essex Highways crews have been using a piece of machinery called a Jet Patcher, which is a high pressure patching system. This allows repairs to be carried out quickly and reduces disruption to traffic.

Jet Patcher crews have already started their programme of repairs in Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping Forest, Maldon, Harlow, Rochford and Tendring, and will be continuing to cover all districts across the county. Residents can check which roads will be covered and track progress online at essex.gov.uk/highways.

County councillor Derrick Louis, cabinet member for Highways & Transportation, said: “It is very encouraging to see the excellent progress being made using our additional �11m investment for pothole repairs.

“The recent weather extremes have taken a severe toll on our roads, and we are determined to get them back to the standard our residents deserve. Maintaining and improving the condition of our road network is one of the County Council’s absolute priorities.

“Warning signs are being used to give notice of where repair work is about to, or has recently taken place. For safety purposes I would ask residents to please take notice of these signs and any temporary speed restrictions.”

Good progress is also being made on the council’s annual surface dressing programme, which takes place throughout the summer months. Surface dressing provides a water-resistant, protective layer to the road, making it less slippery and extending its life. This year surface dressing is being carried out on 1.6 million square metres of road across the county, making the programme a third larger than last year.

Residents can report potholes and find all the information they need on Essex roads by public transport by visiting the new Essex Highways Service Information Centre – essex.gov.uk/highways.