Wednesday, 04 January 2012 15:11

Work to resurface four sections of the A259 near Rye in East Sussex to help keep journeys safe and reliable will start this weekend.

A half-mile section of the A259 between Strand and the Fishmarket roundabout, a one mile section between Rye and Guldeford and a one mile section between Winchelsea and Rye will all be fully resurfaced, along with sections of the one mile length between Woolpack Corner and Brookland.

The work will be carried out using a variety of restrictions, from temporary traffic lights to full road closures, which have all been specifically chosen as the most suitable for each location. A 400 metre section of the A259 east of Rye will be closed for two weeks as part of the project. Access to local businesses and attractions will be retained throughout.

Highways Agency project leader Peter Scott said:

“The A259 is an important route along the south coast, and we are committed to keeping it in a good condition. We have planned this work carefully to keep disruption to a minimum for road users and local people alike. We have chosen early January to start work as local business owners have told us that this is when changes to traffic are likely to affect them least, and we have worked closely with Network Rail and Southern Railways to coordinate our work with the railway engineering work that they are carrying out nearby and we have also funded extra local bus services to help reduce the impact of this weekend’s diversion.”

“I’d advise people to plan their journeys before setting out, and to leave extra time to reach their destinations, especially if they will be affected by a diversion route.”

Work starts on the first section this weekend, between Strand and the Fishmarket roundabout in Rye, where the road will be closed from 6am on Saturday 7 January to 6am on Monday 9 January. A fully signed diversion route will be in place via Northiam, using the A268 and the A28. The Highways Agency has helped the local bus operator to provide extra services while the diversion route is in effect.

After this weekend’s closure, the next section to start work will be the Winchelsea to Rye section, on Monday 23 January, which will be carried out overnight using temporary traffic lights and take three weeks to complete.

Also starting on 23 January will be the Rye to Guldeford section, where work will start by using temporary traffic lights during daytime off-peak hours for three weeks. Work will then be suspended until Saturday 25 February, when a 400 metre section of the A259 between Camber Road the Guldeford Level Crossing will be closed for two weeks. A fully signed diversion route will direct though traffic between Brenzett and Rye via Lydd and Camber. Access along the rest of the A259 will be retained at all times.

Work on the final section, between Woolpack Corner and Brookland, will be carried out at the same time as the Rye to Guldeford closure using the same diversion. While the road will be closed to through traffic, drivers using the A259 to access homes and businesses will be escorted between Woolpack Corner and Brookland by a convoy vehicle.

The work is expected to be completed by mid March.