Plans have been submitted to the council for the demolition of three bridges as part of the scheme to widen the A13.

The proposals call for the Orsett Cock East bridge, the Saffron Gardens bridge and the Orsett Cock West bridge to be demolished and replaced with new bridges that can support the additional lanes.

The planning application was submitted to the council at the end of March and will be considered by the planning committee before moving forward.

Plans to modify the Horndon Road bridge are also underway with the construction of new foundations already underway.

Thurrock Council’s £79million A13 project is one of the largest local authority-managed road schemes in the country and will see a 2.3-mile section of the road expanded from two to three lanes in both directions. The work will stretch from the A128, Orsett Cock roundabout to the A1014 in Stanford-le-Hope.

Cllr Mark Coxshall, Thurrock Council’s portfolio holder for Regeneration, said: “Once the scheme is completed in autumn 2020 there will be a continuous three lane carriageway from the M25 to Stanford-le-Hope, reducing congestion, improving journey times and supporting further economic growth.”