Eastbourne Roadworks This Week: Seaside Nights, Grove Road

Nine residential roads off the A259 Seaside are now closing overnight, one at a time, for a bus scheme that runs to 29 November. By the station, Grove Road, Southfields Road and Hartfield Road are under a closure order that runs to 22 February 2027.

The better news is on the railway. Direct daytime trains between Eastbourne and London return on Monday 12 October, when Southern’s temporary timetable ends.

Everything below was checked on Saturday 3 October 2026 against East Sussex Highways’ scheme pages and maintenance programme, the county’s statutory traffic orders, National Highways’ seven-day closure report and the rail industry’s own notices.

What is closed and when

The Seaside scheme: nine roads, overnight, to 29 November

This is the one to know about, and it is still not on the council’s list of current works. The county council has now made the traffic order. Its notice of 25 September confirms what the 11 September notice only proposed.

The order commenced on Monday 28 September. Work 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 roads. Several of the signed diversions use other roads on the same list, so they cannot all be shut on the same night.

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

The county council’s planned maintenance programme has been reshuffled since our last check. It now lists “BSIP - Seaside - Construction” for November 2026, and the separate 28 September Seaside entry has gone. 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”. It lists what the money buys there:

• bus lanes and 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 still not been published.

Grove Road and Southfields Road: closures to February

The second BSIP job is around the station. A traffic order published on 4 September commenced on Monday 21 September, with works anticipated to 22 February 2027:

• Hartfield Road, from the A259 Upperton Road junction to Upperton Lane. Diversion via 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 goes via Old Orchard Road, Saffrons Road, Meads Road, South Street and the A259 Gildredge Road and Terminus Road.

The maintenance programme now lists two entries for this scheme, “BSIP - Eastbourne Station Area” and “BSIP - Eastbourne Station Area - Construction”, both against October 2026. That suggests the main construction phase is only now starting. February is the outer limit the order allows, not a promise the roads are shut for all of it. With no scheme page there is no phasing plan and no working hours, so check the signs on site.

Terminus Road: closed to vehicles until a new order

Phase 2a of the town centre public realm scheme is still listed as in progress. The council’s maintenance programme now marks Phase 2b at Victoria Place as completed.

The contractor’s weekly update of 25 September says:

• Bolton Road at the Terminus Road entrance, and the section outside M&S where the scheme ends, were due to be resurfaced and relined on the night of Friday 25 September
• on Phase 2b, resurfacing is done on parts of Burlington Road, Grand Parade outside Clive Court, and the junction of Trinity Trees and Trinity Place
• fencing is going round the tree outside Pavers, because its roots are a trip hazard
• signs will show delivery and collection times for vehicles using Terminus Road between Langney Road and Bankers’ Corner

Terminus Road stays closed to vehicles between Bolton Road and Langney Road until an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order comes into effect. That is the first time the contractor has tied the closure to a new order rather than to the works. No date for the order has been published. Temporary parking enforcement stays on Langney Road, with bays kept for taxis, disabled drivers and 20-minute unloading.

The Wednesday drop-in sessions have ended. Queries go to the contact centre on 0345 60 80 193 or EastbourneImprovements@balfourbeatty.com, an address the contractor says will close once the works finish.

When Phase 2a completes, Terminus Road between Bankers’ Corner and Marks and Spencer becomes a pedestrian street, and Bolton Road and Langney Road switch to two-way.

The A22 at Shinewater Bridge, until January 2027

Shinewater Bridge carries the A22 Golden Jubilee Way over the railway on the main road into Eastbourne. 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 stays in place until the works finish in January 2027.

The scheme page still says overnight lane closures are due in October 2026, to lower the bridge and replace the joints. On 3 October it still gave no dates. East Sussex Highways says they will go on that page and its social media channels.

Short closures in the next fortnight

These come from the county’s statutory traffic orders. They sit just outside the borough, but they are on routes many Eastbourne drivers use:

• Milton Street, Westham (about five miles north-east), Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October, for South East Water. Closed from the B2104 Hailsham Road to Hankham Road, diversion via Hankham Road.
• B2104 Ersham Road and Hailsham Road, Hailsham to Stone Cross, Wednesday 7 to Friday 9 October, for East Sussex Highways. Closed from the A295 South Road to the B2247 Dittons Road. The signed diversion is long: the A295, the A22, the A27 Polegate bypass, the A22 Golden Jubilee Way and Dittons Road.
• High Street, Polegate (about five miles north), Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 October, for Southern Water. Closed from Church Road to Black Path, diversion via the A2270 Eastbourne Road, the A27 at Cophall roundabout and the B2247 Hailsham Road.

All three were published as notices of intention, so the order itself follows seven days later. Dates can still move with the weather.

The A27: one night to know about

National Highways’ closure report for the week from 2 October has one job on the road back from Brighton. The A27 eastbound is closed between Ashcombe and Southerham, by Lewes, from 9pm on Monday 5 October to 6am on Tuesday, for survey work. Nothing else is booked on the A27, A22 or A259 between Lewes and Pevensey that week.

Trains: direct London service back from 12 October

The daytime cut that began on 14 September has an end date. The rail industry’s incident notice for Eastbourne, last updated on 30 September, says:

• the temporary timetable stays in place until Friday 9 October
• the normal timetable resumes from Monday 12 October

Until then, on weekdays, direct London trains run until around 9am. From 9am to 4pm you change at Haywards Heath. The usual two trains an hour resume with the 16:24 from London Victoria. Weekends run to the normal timetable.

There is one catch in between. On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October, Southern’s engineering page says no trains run between Lewes and Three Bridges. Replacement buses run Three Bridges to Lewes, calling at Haywards Heath and Cooksbridge. A nine-day closure between Three Bridges and Lewes, Brighton and Hove follows from 13 to 21 February 2027.

Our story on the return of direct trains has the detail. Fares, season tickets and the normal timetable are on Eastbourne to London trains.

Finished, and what is coming next

Recent closures are done or due to be done:

• Willingdon Drove’s night resurfacing finished on 26 September and is marked completed.
• Marshall Road’s patching was due to finish on Friday 2 October, according to its scheme page. The maintenance programme still showed it in progress on 3 October, so the temporary lights may linger for a few days.
• The Wartling Road and Beverington Road Southern Water closures of 23 and 24 September are over.

Still on the council’s programme for Eastbourne:

• BSIP Station Area construction, October 2026
• BSIP Seaside construction, November 2026
• Upper Dukes Drive, road safety work, in progress, with no scheme page

The December skid resistance jobs at Langney roundabout and Royal Parade that the programme carried in September no longer appear on it. The council has not said whether they have been moved or dropped. The programme’s 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 eight weeks are yours. Nine roads between Winchelsea Road and Fort Road close overnight on dates nobody has published, so the first you will know is likely to be the advance warning signs. Every one is a short residential street with a two- or three-road diversion. 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. Old Orchard Road and Saffrons Road are the signed way round.

If you head north, plan around Stone Cross from 7 to 9 October and Polegate High Street on 12 and 13 October.

If you commute by train, one more week of changing at Haywards Heath, then a weekend with no trains north of Lewes, then the normal timetable from Monday 12 October.

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 overnight off Seaside?

Nine roads running off the A259 Seaside, one at a time, from 7pm to 6am on various dates up to 29 November 2026: Winchelsea Road, Finmere Road, Allfrey Road, Romney Street, Vine Square, Windermere Crescent, Channel View Road, Northbourne Road and Fort Road. The order commenced on 28 September. Dates for each 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.

When will Terminus Road reopen to traffic?

It is not going to reopen as before. Terminus Road between Bolton Road and Langney Road stays closed to vehicles until an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order comes into effect, and the finished scheme makes the stretch from Bankers’ Corner to Marks and Spencer a pedestrian street. No date for the order has been published.

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 stays until the scheme finishes in January 2027. Overnight lane closures are due in October 2026, with dates not yet given.

When do direct Eastbourne to London trains come back?

The temporary weekday timetable runs until Friday 9 October, and the normal timetable resumes on Monday 12 October. Until then, direct trains run until around 9am and again from the 16:24 from London Victoria; in between you change at Haywards Heath. There are no trains between Lewes and Three Bridges on 10 and 11 October.

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 3 October 2026.
• East Sussex County Council traffic orders published 25 September 2026 for the made order on the nine Seaside roads, their legal extents and diversions, and the Polegate High Street closure of 12 and 13 October.
• East Sussex County Council traffic orders published 18 September 2026 for the Milton Street, Westham and B2104 Hailsham Road closures, the Marshall Road order, and the Hartfield Road, Grove Road and Southfields Road closures to 22 February 2027.
• East Sussex County Council traffic orders published 4 September 2026 for the original station area order.
• East Sussex Highways planned maintenance programme 2026-27 for the BSIP Seaside and Station Area entries, the Phase 2b and Willingdon Drove completions, Upper Dukes Drive, and the absence of the Langney roundabout and Royal Parade entries, checked 3 October 2026.
• Denton Corner Bus Service Improvement Programme for what East Sussex Highways says a BSIP scheme involves.
• Marshall Road, Eastbourne, carriageway works for the 21 September to 2 October dates.
• Eastbourne Town Centre Phase 2 and the Phase 2 weekly update of 25 September 2026 for the resurfacing, the Terminus Road closure until the ETRO, 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 from 2 October 2026.
• National Rail incident notice, Eastbourne, updated 30 September 2026, for the 9 October end of the temporary timetable and the 12 October return of the normal one.
• 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.