ROADS in Essex are getting better, according to Essex County Council.

Data has been collected by special scanners to show the state of main roads.

They are used onboard road assessment vehicles which skim the road surfaces to record defects.

According to the scanners just 2.6 per cent of the main routes in Essex require treatment, less than half the rate in 2012.

Rodney Bass, cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “Clearly our priority measures and investment in highway improvements is working and really benefiting both commercial and domestic road users.

“Continuously maintaining and upgrading our county routes, which are our priority roads, has a tangible benefit for the county’s business community, especially as many rely heavily on good transport links to and from the region’s ports, airports and motorway connections.”