Work on the A12 in Essex will overrun until summer

Work on the A12 will not be completed on time, National Highways said

A £37m project to rebuild a major road in Essex will overrun after "a number of unexpected challenges", National Highways said.

Work on the A12 between junction 25 for Marks Tey and 26 for Stanway was expected to be completed in the spring.

But National Highways has announced it will not now be completed until summer.

It blamed "adverse weather conditions... and the discovery of poor ground conditions under the northbound carriageway" for the delay.

On its website, the agency wrote: "Before we started construction, we carried out extensive industry standard surveys.

"Unfortunately, while our surveys were completed to current standards and using the correct methods, they can only give us an indication of the ground condition in the specific areas tested, rather than every inch of the road."

The issues were only discovered when workers began digging up the carriageway.

"It became clear that additional work was required to strengthen the foundations of the road."

The work is part of a £37m project to remove the old concrete surface and replace it with a new asphalt finish, which National Highways said would "make journeys smoother, quieter, and safer".

Addressing the delay, the organisation said: "We know this will be frustrating news and we're sorry for the inconvenience these delays may cause to your journey.

"It's important however that our work is carried out to the highest specification now to minimise long term disruption for road users in the future."