Eastbourne Roadworks: Nine Roads Off Seaside Shut 28 Sept

Two bus schemes have just taken over the Eastbourne roadworks map, and neither has a scheme page explaining what is being built.

• From Monday 28 September, nine residential roads running off the A259 Seaside close overnight, one at a time, on various dates through to 29 November.
• Since Monday 21 September, closures have been in force on Grove Road, Southfields Road and Hartfield Road by the station, with a works window that runs to 22 February 2027.

Willingdon Drove’s night closure, the big one all month, finishes on Saturday 26 September. Everything below was checked on 23 September 2026 against East Sussex Highways’ own scheme pages, its maintenance programme, the statutory traffic orders and National Highways’ seven-day closure report.

What is closed and when

The Seaside scheme: nine roads, overnight, from 28 September

This is the one to know about, and it is not on the council’s scheme list at all. The only public record is a statutory traffic order, published on 11 September, in which East Sussex County Council gave notice that it intends to close nine roads running off the A259 Seaside.

The order commences on Monday 28 September and lasts up to 18 months or until the works are done. The council says the work itself is expected on various dates between 28 September and 29 November 2026, from 7pm to 6am, weather permitting. No running order has been published for the nine, but several of the signed diversions run along other roads in the same order, so they cannot all be shut on the same night.

A safe route for pedestrians stays open throughout, and the order says vehicle access for residents and to properties will be maintained wherever possible.

The county council’s planned maintenance programme names this job “BSIP - Seaside” with a start date of 28 September, and a second Seaside entry for October. BSIP is the county-wide Bus Service Improvement Plan: East Sussex Highways’ own Denton Corner page at Newhaven describes that scheme as “part of a wider Bus Service Improvement Plan taking place across the county”, and lists what the money buys there: bus lanes, an upgraded interchange, traffic signal and street lighting work, new shelters and real time passenger information boards.

Eastbourne’s two BSIP schemes have no equivalent page. What is being built on Seaside, and which bus routes gain from it, has not been published.

Grove Road and Southfields Road: closures to February

The second BSIP job is already running. A traffic order published on 4 September covers three roads around the station and commenced on Monday 21 September, with works anticipated from 21 September 2026 to 22 February 2027:

• Hartfield Road, from the A259 Upperton Road junction to Upperton Lane. Diversion via Hartfield Road, Upperton Gardens, the A2040 The Avenue and back to Upperton Road.
• Grove Road, from the A259 Station Roundabout to Ivy Terrace. Diversion via Southfields Road, Old Orchard Road, Saffrons Road and Meads Road.
• Southfields Road, from the A259 Station Roundabout to Old Orchard Road. Southbound traffic goes via Grove Road, Meads Road, Saffrons Road and Old Orchard Road; northbound via Old Orchard Road, Saffrons Road, Meads Road, South Street and the A259 Gildredge Road and Terminus Road.

The maintenance programme lists it as “BSIP - Eastbourne Station Area”, starting 21 September. That five-month window is the outer limit the order allows rather than a promise the roads are shut for all of it, and because there is no scheme page there is no phasing plan, no working hours and no finish date more precise than February. If you use Grove Road or Southfields Road daily, check the signs on site.

Willingdon Drove: three nights left

The resurfacing that has closed Willingdon Drove overnight since 7 September finishes on Saturday 26 September. It runs 8pm to 6am, with no weekend working, between the Shinewater roundabout and about 50 metres north-east of the Larkspur Drive junction, and the signed diversion goes via the A22 Golden Jubilee Way, B2247 Dittons Road and B2104 Friday Street.

The order behind it legally covers Willingdon Drove all the way to the Hide Hollow roundabout, so signs may appear beyond the worked section. As well as a new surface, the crew is laying high friction surfacing, refreshing road markings and levelling ironwork. Daytime journeys are unaffected.

Marshall Road: the dates do not match

Marshall Road is getting carriageway patching, ironwork replacement, joint repairs, drainage cleansing, high friction surfacing and new road markings. The road stays open under temporary traffic lights rather than closing.

The council’s own two records disagree about the job, and both are current:

• The scheme page says Monday 21 September to Friday 2 October, 8pm to 6am on weeknights, from the Marshall roundabout to Loverose Way.
• The traffic order says the closure powers run 21 to 26 September, 9pm to 6am, from the Marshall roundabout to Brampton Road.

The scheme page is the record the council keeps updating, so treat 2 October as the end date and expect the lights to stay up after this week. The extra week, and the extra stretch up to Loverose Way, are covered by the scheme page but not by the order as published.

Terminus Road: resurfacing on 25 September

Phase 2a of the town centre public realm scheme was due to be finished by the end of summer 2026, and the scheme page still says so with summer now over. No completion date has been published.

The contractor’s own weekly update of 18 September sets out what is left:

• on 25 September, the carriageway on Bolton Road near the Terminus Road junction, and the section outside M&S where the works end, are resurfaced
• extra signage goes in on Terminus Road
• fencing goes round the tree outside Pavers, because its roots are a trip hazard

Terminus Road is currently closed to vehicles between Bolton Road and Langney Road. Temporary parking enforcement is in place on Langney Road, with bays kept for taxis, disabled drivers and 20-minute unloading.

One change worth noting if you have a question about the works: the Wednesday afternoon drop-in sessions at the 25a Langney Road site office have now ended. Queries go to the contact centre on 0345 60 80 193 or EastbourneImprovements@balfourbeatty.com.

When Phase 2a completes, Terminus Road between Bankers’ Corner and Marks and Spencer becomes a pedestrian street, Bolton Road and Langney Road switch to two-way, and new surfacing, trees, planters, seating and cycle parking go in. Phase 2b at Victoria Place follows and is listed as in progress.

This week’s short closures

Two Southern Water jobs are in the statutory orders for today and tomorrow:

• Wartling Road, from the A259 Seaside junction to Rye Street, closed on 23 and 24 September. Diversion via Wartling Road, Winchelsea Road and Seaside.
• Beverington Road, from the A2270 Willingdon Road junction to Rodmill Drive, closed on 23 September. Diversion via Beverington Road, Rodmill Drive, the A2021 Rodmill roundabout and Kings Drive, Park Avenue and Willingdon Road.

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. A reduced speed limit is in place until the works finish in January 2027.

A further set of overnight lane closures is booked for October 2026, to lower the bridge back down and replace the joints. The exact dates were still unpublished on 23 September, and East Sussex Highways says they will go on the scheme page and its social media channels nearer the time.

Trains: no direct London service 9am to 4pm

The temporary weekday timetable that started on 14 September has been extended in its wording. Southern’s service updates page now says the changes run “until at least mid-October”, where it previously said about four weeks. The cause is a speed restriction between Ore, Eastbourne and London Victoria, which Southern blames on track conditions after the hot, dry summer.

What runs, Monday to Friday:

• the usual half-hourly direct service to London Victoria runs until around 9am
• from 9am to 4pm there are no direct London trains: services run Haywards Heath to Eastbourne and Eastbourne to Ore, and you change at Haywards Heath
• tickets are valid on other Southern services between London Victoria and Haywards Heath
• the usual two trains per hour resume with the 16:24 departure from London Victoria
• weekends run to the normal timetable

This week there are also late night closures. From Monday 21 to Friday 25 September, engineering work in the Lewes area means buses replace trains between Haywards Heath and Lewes, Polegate and Eastbourne, and between Lewes and Polegate or Seaford, at the end of service. The 01:08 Haywards Heath to Eastbourne train on Tuesday to Friday mornings is diverted to Brighton, with a replacement bus on to Eastbourne.

Two bigger closures are worth putting in the diary:

• Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October: no trains between Lewes and Three Bridges. Replacement buses run Three Bridges to Lewes calling at Haywards Heath and Cooksbridge, and a diverted Brighton to London Victoria service runs via Littlehampton and Horsham.
• Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 February 2027: a nine-day closure between Three Bridges and Lewes, Brighton and Hove via Haywards Heath, timed for half term. Southern says replacement details will follow later this year.

Our story on the temporary timetable has the detail for commuters. Fares, season tickets and the normal timetable are on Eastbourne to London trains.

The A27 is clear this week

National Highways’ seven-day closure report for 22 to 28 September lists no closures at all on the A27, A22 or A259 between Lewes and Pevensey. The nearest A27 works are all west of Brighton: Clapham to Crossbush on the night of Wednesday 23 September, and Adur, Langstone and Warblington later in the week. If you drive back from Brighton in the evening, the road home is clear.

Finished, and what is coming next

Recent closures are done:

• Royal Sussex Crescent in Old Town reopened after UK Power Networks finished on 15 September.
• The A27 eastbound overnight closures between the A270 Lewes Road junction and the Ashcombe roundabout ran on 14, 15 and 17 September and are over.
• A2021 Kings Drive finished its overnight patching on 29 August, so the hospital road is back to normal day and night.
• Station Street, Channel View Road and Pevensey Road reopened after their short closures in August and early September.

Still to come on the council’s maintenance programme for Eastbourne:

• Seaside, the second phase of the bus scheme, October 2026
• Langney roundabout on the A259, skid resistance, December 2026
• Royal Parade on the B2106, skid resistance, December 2026

Those dates are the council’s own scheduling and it warns they move with weather and budget.

What it means for you

If you live off Seaside, the next two months are yours. Nine roads between Winchelsea Road and Fort Road are due to close overnight on dates nobody has published, from 28 September to 29 November, and the first you will know of it is likely to be the advance warning signs. Every one of them is a short residential street where the diversion is a loop of two or three roads, so the disruption is parking and access rather than a long detour.

If you drive to the station, Grove Road and Southfields Road are the ones to watch, and that is now a five-month problem rather than a week. Old Orchard Road and Saffrons Road are the signed way round in both directions.

If you cross Langney or Shinewater by Willingdon Drove, this is the last week. The road reopens fully after Saturday 26 September.

And mind the trains. There are still no direct London services between 9am and 4pm on weekdays, now billed as lasting until at least mid-October, and this week the late night trains between Haywards Heath and Eastbourne are buses.

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.
• 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 of council schemes, with an interactive map updated weekly.
• Public Notice Portal carries the statutory traffic orders, which give the exact legal extent and diversion for each closure. Both bus schemes above appear here and nowhere else.
• 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 publishes a rolling seven-day closure report covering the A27 trunk sections west of Polegate.

Frequently asked questions

Which Eastbourne roads are closing from 28 September?

Nine roads running off the A259 Seaside, one at a time, overnight from 7pm to 6am on various dates between 28 September and 29 November 2026: Winchelsea Road, Finmere Road, Allfrey Road, Romney Street, Vine Square, Windermere Crescent, Channel View Road, Northbourne Road and Fort Road. The dates for each individual road have not been published, so watch for advance warning signs.

Is Grove Road in Eastbourne closed?

A closure order covering Grove Road, Southfields Road and Hartfield Road commenced on 21 September 2026, with works anticipated until 22 February 2027 for the station area bus scheme. That is the outer window the order allows rather than a continuous closure, and no phasing plan has been published. The signed way round Grove Road is Southfields Road, Old Orchard Road, Saffrons Road and Meads Road.

Is Willingdon Drove in Eastbourne closed?

Overnight only, and not for much longer. The road is closed to through traffic 8pm to 6am until Saturday 26 September 2026, between the Shinewater roundabout and Larkspur Drive, with no weekend working. The diversion runs via the A22 Golden Jubilee Way, B2247 Dittons Road and B2104 Friday Street. Daytime journeys are unaffected.

When will the Terminus Road works finish?

Phase 2a was due to complete by the end of summer 2026 and no new date has been published. Bolton Road near the Terminus Road junction and the section outside M&S are being resurfaced on 25 September. Terminus Road is currently closed to vehicles between Bolton Road and Langney Road.

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. A further set of overnight lane closures is due in October 2026, dates not yet given.

Are there trains from Eastbourne to London?

Yes, but on a temporary weekday timetable that Southern now says runs until at least mid-October 2026. Direct trains run until around 9am and again from the 16:24 departure from London Victoria; between 9am and 4pm you change at Haywards Heath. Weekends are normal. Buses replace late night trains between Haywards Heath and Eastbourne from 21 to 25 September, and there are engineering closures on 10 and 11 October and from 13 to 21 February 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 Eastbourne scheme list, checked 23 September 2026.
• East Sussex County Council traffic order published 11 September 2026 for the nine Seaside road closures, their legal extents, the diversions and the 28 September to 29 November window.
• East Sussex County Council traffic orders published 4 September 2026 for the Hartfield Road, Grove Road and Southfields Road closures to 22 February 2027, the Marshall Road order, and the Wartling Road and Beverington Road closures of 23 and 24 September.
• East Sussex Highways planned maintenance programme 2026-27 for the BSIP Seaside and BSIP Eastbourne Station Area start dates, and the December skid resistance work at Langney roundabout and Royal Parade.
• Denton Corner Bus Service Improvement Programme for what East Sussex Highways says a BSIP scheme involves.
• Willingdon Drove, Eastbourne, resurfacing works for the 7 to 26 September closure dates, the extent and the diversion route.
• Marshall Road, Eastbourne, carriageway works for the 21 September to 2 October dates, the hours and the traffic lights.
• Eastbourne Town Centre Phase 2 and the Phase 2a weekly update of 18 September 2026 for the 25 September resurfacing, the Terminus Road vehicle closure, the Langney Road parking enforcement and the end of the drop-in sessions.
• Shinewater Bridge, A22 Golden Jubilee Way for the bridge works, the October lane closures and the speed limit end date.
• National Highways road closure report for the week of 22 to 28 September 2026.
• Southern, service updates for the temporary weekday timetable running until at least mid-October, and the late night bus replacements of 21 to 25 September.
• Southern, Brighton Main Line engineering work for the 10 and 11 October closure and the February 2027 nine-day closure.
• 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.