There was severe congestion in and around the Lakeside shopping area for a number of hours this afternoon and evening.
Roads became “gridlocked” due to a combination of extra people doing their Christmas shopping, a burst water main road closure nearby and emergency road closures on the Dartford Crossing.
Some people who had been shopping at Lakeside reported being stuck in traffic jams to leave the area for over an hour.
Ensign Buses reported that the situation was “deteriorating” during the afternoon and all of their Lakeside and Grays bus routes faced “severe disruption”.
Always hear first about breaking news in Southend
Add Your Southend as a Preferred Source on Google to ensure our stories appear in your search results. It's free and easy to do.
Click here to add Your Southend on Google ↗