DRIVERS across the Halstead area should prepare for delays as a crucial main road prepares for closure.

Church Hill in Earls Colne is due to close in the coming weeks which could see drivers diverted for miles.

Essex County Council are scheduled to close the road from Monday, March 15.

Roadworks are being carried out from 8pm to 5am each day in order to complete patching work and to mend potholes.

The council say "patching takes place to repair the road surface, it involves removing a part of the surface around a pothole and placing a new patch of road surface."

The road will be closed from Church Hill's mini-roundabout junction with Coggeshall Road to the corner with St Andrew's Church where the road becomes High Street.

This means drivers will be forced to find a new route through the village.

The Essex Highways advised route, which has to take in to account drivers of big vehicles, would see drivers head south by heading to Halstead before using the A131 to reach Braintree and the A120 before heading back to Earls Colne at the Coggeshall bypass to reach the other side of the works.

This route would see drivers diverted a maximum distance of more than 24 miles - a journey which highways estimates would take around 45 minutes.

However, drivers could shorten the route by heading through Greenstead Green.

Fortunately for residents, the works are scheduled to finish by Wednesday, March 17 but drivers are warned to expect delays.