AFTER almost six months of disruption roadworks on one of Southend’s busiest roundabouts will be finished next week.

New traffic lights will be switched at the Tesco roundabout, on the A127, on Sunday morning.

After 25 weeks, and £4.7million, contractors from LaFarge Tarmax will pack up their tools and fully reopen the road.

Workers will watch how traffic copes with the lights for three weeks and tweak the signals if needs be.

A number of palm trees have been planted around the A127 roundabout and, to mark the near-completion of the infrastructure work, transport councillor Martin Terry joined council officers and workers to plant a sapling.

Although the works have caused frustration for some commuters over the last few months, Mr Terry said he was delighted the development was being completed on time ahead of the Easter holidays.

He said: “I’m delighted that, as promised, we’ve got the job completed ahead of the Easter weekend, which is of great benefit to local traders and the leisure economy of the town.

“This is the first step in a continuing development, the next stage of which will be Kent Elms Corner and The Bell, which will all help support developments at Saxon Business Park and Nestuda Way Business Park, creating 7,380 jobs over the next 15 years.

“Every junction we’ve worked on so far has been greatly improved, which is why the Government has invested £3.3million to help us provide the infrastructure for growth.”

LaFarge public liaison officer Mark Hathaway said he had only received six complaints and believed people were generally satisfied with the handling of the project.

Mr Terry added he had no concerns about the health of the palm trees in colder winters, citing the resilience of palm trees on the seafront, and adding they would be well looked after by the council’s arboriculturalist Denis Lloyd.

Mr Lloyd added: “Most palm trees can withstand temperatures as low as -10 or -15C and the three shorter ones we’ve planted were out here last year, we’ve brought them back, so they shouldn’t have any problems.”