DRIVERS in the Halstead and Braintree area are facing weeks of potential delays and diversions.

Weeks worth of roadworks and road closures are coming to the main road linking the town towns.

The A131 at High Garrett is also an important road for residents of villages such as Gosfield and the Hedinghams.

To help give residents all the information they need, here is everything you need to know about the upcoming roadworks.

Where is it taking place?

The roadworks will see the closure of the A131 through High Garrett.

It is believed the roadworks will stretch from the roundabout with Broad Road to the junction with the A1017 in High Garrett.

When does it start and end?

According to Essex Highways, the roadworks will begin on Thursday 8 October at 8pm.

The roadworks will only take place at night each day and therefore the road will reopen each morning at 6am.

During the weekend, it is expected the road will remain open so, although the roadworks wont end until Tuesday 27 October, the road will only be closed for 14 nights.

Why will the road be closed?

The roadworks are being conducted by Essex County Council and they plan on resurfacing the road.

Essex Highways will plane off the existing road surface to lay fresh asphalt.

The method is the most comprehensive in Essex Highway's arsenal and is used when the surface is so worn that it must be replaced.

Is there a diversion?

A diversion will be in place while the roadworks are taking place from 8pm to 6am.

The diversion is nearly 14 and a half miles long of you're going from the two furthest points.

These points are Gosfield and High Garrett.

Residents of the two villages are used to travelling a short distance up the A1017 to one another

However, with the junction at High Garret closed, drivers have to go the long way round.

Essex Highways picked a diversion route which it recommends drivers follow.

The route was picked because it is the safest and also accessible to drivers of large vehicles.

Starting is Gosfield, drivers are advised to head to Halstead via the A1124.

From there drivers can head down Colchester Road to Earls Colne before turning south down the B1024 to the Coggeshall bypass.

Drivers can then head east down the A120 towards Braintree before turning up the A131 at the Coggeshall Road roundabout.

How long will the diversion take?

Essex Highways estimates the diversion will take drivers about 25 minutes to pass if going from Gosfield to High Garrett.

However, the time could vary depending on traffic, the weather and the fact it will likely be dark.