Essex Highways staff work flat out to keep county’s roads safe during Storm Eunice

Crews deal with more than 220 emergency incidents as winds of up to 80mph hit Essex.

Essex Highways is continuing to urge road-users to avoid unnecessary travel due to the impacts of Storm Eunice on the county.

As of 4pm on Friday (18th February) afternoon Essex Highways had received reports of more than 220 incidents requiring an urgent response across its 5,000-mile network of roads.

Most were related to fallen trees, some affecting priority roads, but there were also other issues such as streetlights being affected by high winds.

Working with partners in borough, district and city councils as well as the emergency services, crews have been working as fast as possible to attend and sort incidents, and will continue to do so over the weekend.

Essex Traffic Control Centre will also be open on Saturday to inform residents of any traffic issues across the county throughout the day.

Cllr Lee Scott, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport, said: “I want to pay tribute to all of our incredible Essex Highways staff, who have worked non-stop throughout the day in incredibly difficult conditions in order to keep our county’s roads safe. They will continue doing so throughout the evening and over the weekend.

“Please do bear with us whilst we deal with incidents, we will get to things as soon as safely possible. I must also continue to urge the public to be extremely cautious and please only travel when necessary.”

Information from road users and residents is key to keeping the county road network open, so if you see a road blocked by fallen trees or branches you can let Essex Highways know at www.essexhighways.org/tell-us. If it is an emergency and you think there is a risk to life, call 0345 603 7631.