A PROJECT to permanently resolve issues with a pothole-riddled road will prevent drivers dodging defects "like a slalom course."

Julie Young, Essex county councillor for Wivenhoe, has moved to assure motorists long-running problems with potholes in Rectory Road will be fixed in the coming weeks.

One driver, who asked not to be named, said: "It's like the dodgems going down there, a slalom course.

"You have to duck and dive around them, it is horrendous."

Councillor Young said although a lot of work had been done to repair the road last year, drainage work is now needed for a more long-term fix.

"It has not been in a good state," she said.

"A significant amount of patching work will be done in the next eight weeks.

"It is a programme of work that needs to be done.

"Then once that is done in the next eight weeks, next year, from April onwards, there is going to be significant drainage work done in the road.

"That is the problem with this phase, once the drainage work is done there will be a full resurface."

She acknowledged the frustration felt by residents and motorists.

"I know residents think nothing gets done with the potholes, but I can reassure them that it is happening and it is coming, perhaps just not as quickly as they would hope," she said.

"It has been a road that has attracted a lot of complaints, but it is not the only road we have had significant issues with.

"It is an arterial road, with a lot of traffic and heavy duty lorries going to the Larfage plant.

"The potholes in the centre of the road are not easy to do without tackling the root cause of the problem."

An Essex Highways spokesperson confirmed: “Patching work on Rectory Road will commence shortly and longer term works are in the planning stage.”