Huge boost to winter road maintenance begins in Essex

Crews will be carrying out a huge programme of works this month and beyond

A major programme of road repairs is underway across Essex to fix damage caused by the cold and wet weather this winter.

This follows Essex County Council’s recent announcement of an extra £6 million in highways repairs and improvements.

This will be invested alongside the annual £102 million highways budget for 2026/27. This means more money is now being spent maintaining the county’s roads than ever before.

Extra crews and specialist vehicles will join existing teams already tackling the issues that matter most to residents.

These include permanent patching and pothole repairs, plus crews to deal with drainage defects which will help prevent highway flooding.

Repairs will use a jet patcher machine, which fires repair material into potholes at high pressure, which can also be used on rural roads.

High-performance machinery will create drainage channels (‘grips’) in rural road verges. This will help quickly remove water from the road surface, preventing surface water flooding and potholes.

Work is already being delivered in March through the council's Members' Highways Initiative. Road and pavement repairs through the programme will be carried out across 100 sites.

The programme of work will continue for the next few months and will also include resurfacing work as soon as drier conditions allow.