Politicians have urged that a third link to Canvey is needed to protect the area from major traffic accidents.
Roadworks to fix a water leak on the A13 left roads across Castle Point and across south Essex in chaos on Monday night.
Andrew Shelton, MP for South Benfleet Essex County Council, said a third access link between Canwy and Thurrock was needed to prevent accidents and repairs from bringing traffic in and out of the island to a standstill.
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“There’s been a hiccup with a couple of roads in areas like the A13 or Canvey Way and the whole of South Essex is at a standstill,” Mr Shelton said.
“Castle Point needs to put together a business case as soon as possible to present to government why a third road to Canvey is needed.”
Former county and borough councilor Ray Howard MBE believes there is an urgent need to develop plans for the long-awaited road.
“Frankly, you never know if it will take you hours to get home because the roads are so fragile that even the slightest problem can bring the island to a standstill,” he said.
“After nearly 40 years of waiting, it’s time we finally tackle this new path.
“The problem on Monday was that drivers were queuing for hours on end for a simple water leak.”
Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris believes Castle Point needs a major investment in infrastructure to revitalize its aging infrastructure.
“Most of Castle Point was built 60 years ago and our utility infrastructure now needs a serious upgrade,” she said.
“I’ve spoken to a number of utilities, urging them to put together a program for proper upgrades, not just bugfixes.
“This is especially important on major borough roads such as the A13 and Essex Way, where a set of works can keep residents waiting for hours.”
The Conservative MP thanked Essex and Suffolk Water for moving quickly to fix the leak, but added the delay “should never have happened in the first place”.
