ESSEX will be given more than £2.7million to repair its roads.

It is part of £16million set aside by the Department for Transport for the East of England, which is to be used to fix roads damaged by severe weather across the country following the wettest winter on record.

In total, Essex County Council will get £2,700,386, with Southend set for £273,418 and Thurrock £211,468.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “Damage to roads causes misery for drivers and local communities and the severe weather over the last few months has made the problem worse.

“This extra money will help make a real difference to the millions of road users and residents across the east of England who rely on local roads, giving them safer and smoother journeys.”

The three councils already have a budget to maintain road, excluding major roads, such as the A12, which is maintained by the Highways Agency.

Each authority will have to publish information on how the money has been spent by the end of August 2014.

Separately, Chancellor George Osborne announced in Wednesday’s budget he would ring-fence £168million to tackle potholes on England’s roads.