Christmas has come early for the long suffering residents of Strawbrook Hill and The Crescent with the unheralded opening of a small section of the A131 Great Leighs bypass earlier this week.

No longer will lorries and cars be thundering past their cottages on the old Roman Road thanks to the link to nearby Deres Bridge, Little Leighs, which opened without ceremony last week.

The half mile long 'black top' highway with its now diverts public traffic away from construction work on a new bridge over the River Ter.

An Essex County Council spokeswoman said: "A similar diversion will be implemented upon completion of the Moulsham Hall roundabout."

The £21m eight-mile long dual carriageway is due to open next April, running to the west of the village, from north of the Walthams to the Great Notley Garden Village.

Published Monday December 17, 2001