A2021 Kings Drive closes overnight from 17 to 29 August, hospital access kept open. Every current Eastbourne scheme, with dates, diversions and who to ring.
Five highway schemes are running in Eastbourne at once, and the one that will catch most people out starts on Monday 17 August, when the A2021 Kings Drive closes overnight between the hospital roundabout and the Rodmill roundabout.
This page lists what is actually booked, with the dates and diversion routes from East Sussex Highways’ own scheme pages, then sets out the routes and parking that do not change. Everything here was checked on 9 August 2026.
What is closed and when
| Road | Dates | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| A2021 Kings Drive | Mon 17 to Sat 29 Aug, 8pm to 6am | Closed to through traffic, hospital roundabout to Rodmill roundabout |
| Willingdon Drove | Mon 7 to Sat 26 Sept, 8pm to 6am | Closed to through traffic, Shinewater roundabout to Larkspur Drive |
| Terminus Road and Langney Road | To the end of summer 2026 | Public realm works, Phase 2a |
| A22 Golden Jubilee Way, Shinewater Bridge | To January 2027 | Reduced speed limit throughout, overnight lane closures in October |
| Cornfield Road | Finished 7 Aug | Sunken carriageway rebuilt, bus stops back to normal |
A2021 Kings Drive, 17 to 29 August
This is the important one, because Kings Drive is the road to Eastbourne District General Hospital.
East Sussex Highways is patching the carriageway between the hospital roundabout and the Rodmill roundabout, working 8pm to 6am, Monday 17 August to Saturday 29 August, with no weekend shifts. The road is closed to through traffic during those hours, with a signed diversion via the A2040 and A2270.
Access to the hospital is being kept open throughout. Most of the work sits between the two hospital entrances, and for one night the crew will be on the hospital mini-roundabout itself, when Kings Drive is expected to stay open with hospital access from the Rodmill roundabout end. The petrol station stays reachable, though possibly one-way at some stages. If you live inside the closure you can get to your property, but you may be escorted and there is no through route.
Bus operators have been told and affected services will divert.
Willingdon Drove, 7 to 26 September
Resurfacing between the Shinewater roundabout and about 50 metres north-east of the Larkspur Drive junction, 8pm to 6am, Monday 7 to Saturday 26 September, again with no weekend working. Closed to through traffic, with the diversion running A22 Golden Jubilee Way, B2247 Dittons Road, B2104 Friday Street and back.
As well as a new surface, the crew is laying high-friction surfacing, refreshing road markings and levelling ironwork.
The A22 at Shinewater Bridge, until January 2027
The long one. Shinewater Bridge carries the A22 Golden Jubilee Way over the railway on the main road into Eastbourne, and its bearings and joints have reached the end of their life. Balfour Beatty is replacing them mostly from underneath, so the road stays open, but a reduced speed limit is in place until the works finish in January 2027.
The first phase of bridge jacking began on Monday 3 August, with overnight lane closures from 8pm to 5am for three nights. A further set of overnight lane closures is booked for October 2026 to lower the bridge back down and replace the joints.
Terminus Road, and what the town centre will look like
Phase 2a of the Eastbourne Town Centre public realm scheme is due to finish by the end of summer 2026. When it does, Terminus Road between Bankers’ Corner and Marks and Spencer becomes a pedestrian street, and Bolton Road and Langney Road switch to two-way traffic. New surfacing, trees, planters, seating and cycle parking come with it. Phase 2b then moves to Victoria Place.
If a shop you are trying to reach is behind hoardings, the scheme has a site office at 25a Langney Road, open Wednesdays 1pm to 3pm, on 0345 60 80 193 or EastbourneImprovements@balfourbeatty.com.
Routes that do not change
Eastbourne sits in a corner, with the sea on two sides and the Downs behind, so there are only a handful of ways in and out.
- A22 Golden Jubilee Way is the main road in from the north, running up to Polegate, Hailsham, Uckfield and eventually the M25. It carries the Shinewater Bridge restriction.
- A27 runs west from Polegate through Lewes to Brighton, and east towards Pevensey and Bexhill. Long-distance traffic is meant to use this rather than the coast road.
- A259 is the coast road west to Seaford and Newhaven. It crosses the Cuckmere at Exceat Bridge, a single-lane 1870 bridge inside Seven Sisters Country Park that is now on temporary traffic lights and due for replacement. Allow extra time on summer weekends.
- A2021 Kings Drive links the A22 to the hospital and on to Meads and the seafront.
- A2270 Upperton Road and Willingdon Road is the inner route north from the town centre.
The draft Local Plan designates the A259, A2290 Lottbridge Drove, A2270 and A2021 as “sustainable movement corridors”, where buses, walking and cycling get priority in future schemes. If you want to know what that means for your street, it is set out in the Local Plan documents.
Parking and the station
Eastbourne station’s car park is run by APCOA and has 329 spaces. All day is £7.80 Monday to Friday and £6.90 at weekends, with an evening rate of £2.50 from 5pm, plus a 15p convenience fee on every tariff. Daily tickets expire at 4am, not midnight. Full tariffs, and how the season tickets compare, are on Eastbourne to London trains.
Borough council car parks across Eastbourne take RingGo cashless payment as well as card, and the council publishes tariffs on its car parking page.
Where to check before you drive
- East Sussex Highways planned roadworks is the authoritative list, with an interactive map updated weekly. Every scheme above comes from it.
- one.network shows live and permitted works from every utility as well as the council, which is where you will find the short gas and water jobs that never make the scheme list.
- National Highways covers the A27 trunk sections west of Polegate.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kings Drive in Eastbourne closed?
Overnight only, 8pm to 6am from Monday 17 to Saturday 29 August 2026, between the hospital roundabout and the Rodmill roundabout, with a diversion via the A2040 and A2270. It is open as normal during the day and at weekends, and access to the hospital is maintained throughout.
When will the Terminus Road works finish?
Phase 2a is due to complete by the end of summer 2026, after which Terminus Road between Bankers’ Corner and Marks and Spencer is pedestrianised and Bolton Road and Langney Road become two-way. Phase 2b at Victoria Place follows.
Why is there a speed limit on the A22 into Eastbourne?
Bridge bearings and joints are being replaced on Shinewater Bridge, where the A22 Golden Jubilee Way crosses the railway. The reduced limit protects the crew working underneath and stays in place until the scheme finishes in January 2027.
Where can I see all Eastbourne roadworks on a map?
Use the East Sussex Highways interactive map for council schemes, and one.network for everything else including utility works.
Sources
- East Sussex Highways, planned roadworks for the current scheme list.
- A2021 Kings Drive, Eastbourne, carriageway works for the August dates, closure extent, diversion and hospital access arrangements.
- Willingdon Drove, Eastbourne, resurfacing works for the September dates and diversion.
- Shinewater Bridge, A22 Golden Jubilee Way for the bridge jacking phases and the speed limit end date.
- Eastbourne Town Centre Phase 2 for the Terminus Road, Bolton Road and Langney Road changes and the site office details.
- Cornfield Road, Eastbourne, carriageway repairs for the July to August works now finished.
- The Exceat Bridge for the A259 crossing at Seven Sisters.
- APCOA, Eastbourne station car park for station parking tariffs.
Dates on highway schemes move, usually because of weather. Confirm against the East Sussex Highways scheme page before you plan around a closure. What is being built where is on Eastbourne planning; days out that avoid the town centre entirely are on things to do in Eastbourne.
Have your say
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