Hastings to Bexhill link road is closed this weeekend due to subsidence

The issue has been caused by subsidence on the £120 million road which was opened on December 17 2015. The speed limit on the road has already been temporarily reduced to 40mph due to the issues.

An East Sussex Highways spokesperson said: “We are aware of an area of subsidence on Coombe Valley Way, and have carried out investigations this week to establish the cause of the problem.

“Repair works to both carriageways will take place next weekend, from Friday, July 14 to Monday, July 17. This will unfortunately involve closing the road and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. Warning signs will be in place shortly to advise motorists about the timing of the work and details of the roadworks will also be available on the East Sussex Highways website.”

One Bexhill resident, who uses the road, commented: “The road only opened in 2015 so it's a bit of a shock to have subsidence already. There is one quite bad drop as you go along towards Bexhill from Hastings end but the whole of the stretch seems to be speed limited now.”

Hastings East Sussex County Councillor Phil Scott said: “There is a depression in the road along the Coombe Valley Way where ESCC have placed a 40mph sign as a precautionary move. Basically it is to slow down traffic at the point of the depression. It has been there for several weeks.”

Local people have also raised concerns over the lack of progress on the multi-million pound Queensway Gateway road onto the A21. They say it was almost completed in January 2019 but almost five years on there is still no connection through the back of Bartletts SEAT onto Whitworth Road. It has been dubbed locally as ‘The road to Nowhere’.

An East Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “Work to progress the Queensway Gateway Road is ongoing and ESCC remains committed to seeing the completion of the project with the construction of the final connection between the road and the A21.”

Sea Change Sussex told the Observer in October last year that the final stages of the Gateway road should only take eight to ten weeks but that they were still waiting for approvals from East Sussex County Council

Cllr Scott added: “On the 'Road to Nowhere' there is still no movement which is totally ridiculous given both the expenditure and time that has since passed. A project that is almost complete but not quite there, 'Incompetent' springs to mind. I do hope we see an independent enquiry come forward which I called for some years ago. In the meantime someone needs to get a grip, finish the project and move on.”

The original link road project proved controversial and was delayed by protests by environmental campaigners, bad weather and archaeological work.

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