Haywards Heath road to reopen ahead of schedule

Water works on South Road, Haywards Heath

Preparations are being made to bring forward a project to upgrade a second old leaky water main in Haywards Heath as contractors installing a nearby pipeline are set to finish earlier than planned.

South East Water was due to begin construction in Hazelgrove Road on 1 October but with contractors surpassing expectations to finish installing an new water main in South Road a month earlier than planned, this additional work has been brought forward.

Chris Love, delivery manager at South East Water, said: “We had always planned to install the new water main in Hazelgrove Road as soon as upgrade work in South Road completed.

“With work in South Road due to finish early and being keen to reduce the period of time we’ll be working in the town centre, it made sense to bring our work in Hazelgrove Road forward.”

Construction in Hazelgrove Road will now start on Tuesday August 26 and is due to take approximately six weeks to complete.

Work will take place between St Joseph’s Way and the Sussex Square roundabout.

Traffic travelling northbound along Hazelgrove Road will be unaffected, but motorists travelling southbound will need to follow a diversion which will be clearly signed.

Chris continued: “This will be the reverse of the one-way system that has been in place while we have been working in South Road, it is now a well-known route and one which has been proven to keep traffic flowing.

“Once again I would like to apologise for the ongoing disruption our work is causing, but hope residents, motorists and the local community understand the long term benefits this scheme will deliver.”

These new £600,000 pipelines in the town centre form part of the Company’s five year programme in which £390 million is being invested to ensure that reliable, clean, safe water is delivered to all customers.