Essex & Suffolk Water is investing £500,000 in a project to further reduce the chances of burst water pipes affecting traffic on a busy Essex road junction.

The investment at the Sadlers Farm junction of the A13 at Benfleet will see a new pipe installed inside an existing water main, which will mean the work can be carried out with minimal possible impact on the busy road network.

The scheme follows an initial piece of work in late 2022 and January 2023, when Essex & Suffolk Water removed one of three pipes that serve the area from service at the point where it crossed London Road, known locally as the Tarpots Junction.

Work is due to start on the installation of the new pipe from today and is likely to be completed in January.

The new pipe will then be connected to the existing local water supply network near the end of the project.

Work has also been taking place on the wider local network in recent weeks to ensure the work can take place without loss of supply to customers.

Ian Cleaver, Essex & Suffolk Water’s Acting Head of Water Networks, said:

“In 2022, traffic congestion resulted from instances of burst pipes around the Sadlers Farm junction, which is an important interchange for local people and commuters to London. We understand the frustration this has caused and have put a plan in place to do what we can to reduce the chances of such bursts occurring in the future.

“The earlier work meant that the stretch of pipe we took out of use can no longer burst. This new investment in the local network will add significant resilience to our supply pipes, and further protection from bursts for motorists and customers”.

“By using the technique of sliding a new plastic pipe inside the old water main, we avoid the need to dig a long trench – almost 1km in length – along the road and causing huge disruption to the road network. This method also significantly reduces the length of time the work will take.”