Double trouble as roadworks block main route to Hastings

Traffic has been brought to a standstill after two temporary sets of traffic lights were put in place just a few hundred yards apart on De La Warr Road.

One set of lights had been enough to bring vehicles to a halt with eastbound traffic backed-up from the lights outside the Langford Clinic extension well into King Offa Way.

The advent of the second set, which temporarily replaced those at the Brett Drive junction, was enough to cause a tailback deep into St Leonards. Frustrated commuters swiftly turned to the Hastings Road / Penland Road / Dorset Road route as a means of bypassing De La Warr Road.

But this swiftly proved self-defeating. Morning and evening "rush" hour traffic flows have seen vehicles backed-up in Hastings Road from Glyne Gap roundabout to well beyond the rear of St Michael's Church while the east-west flow has queued from the traffic lights by Bexhill College back to a similar point.

The lights at Brett Drive have been set up while energy provider EDF carries out work which is due to last until early next month. Work by Southern Water is behind the other set of roadworks and is scheduled to finish today.

Observer reader Richard Madge, who took this picture, said: "It really defeats me as to how anybody can argue against the Link Road. Until we have a semi-efficient road network, we are not even in a position to begin to improve public transport."

The problem eased yesterday as schools broke up.