A27 closure: Watch as abnormal load makes its journey in Sussex

A section of the A27 is fully closed – from Patcham to Devil’s Dyke – while police assist with an abnormal load today (Sunday, October 27). The road closure was planned between 7am and 3.30pm – but seems to have overrun.

AA Traffic News reported ongoing ‘severe delays’ at 5.30pm.

Sussex Traffic Watch added: “A22 at Little Horsted near Uckfield Road remains closed both ways between the Little Horsted roundabout and the Eastbourne Road junction.”

The closure was put in place while police officers assist staff from from National Grid, Brighton and Hove Highways, and National Highways with the transport of two super grid transformers.

Video footage taken today showed the abnormal load leaving Shoreham Port at Hove.

A post on Sussex Traffic Watch this morning read: “Two abnormal loads are scheduled to leave Shoreham Port this morning at 8am and travel to Little Horsted near Uckfield via the A27 and A26 with road closures scheduled on the A27 around Patcham, Brighton.

“Location updates to follow once the loads are on the move.”

At 11.30am, the abnormal loads’ location was the A270 Old Shoreham Road, eastbound towards the A293 Hangleton Link Road.

What is an abnormal road?

According to National Highways, an abnormal load is a vehicle that has any of the following: a weight of more than 44,000kg; an axle load of more than 10,000kg for a single non-driving axle and 11,500kg for a single driving axle; a width of more than 2.9 metres and a rigid length of more than 18.65 metres. Other measurements ‘may apply’ if you’re transporting a load abroad.

If you’re responsible for transporting an abnormal load, ‘you need to follow regulations’ for notifying highway, police and bridge authorities.

Abnormal load transport specialists Allelys is responsible for the transportation.

Its website states: “With the equipment to accommodate oversized and overweight abnormal loads, Allelys provide bespoke solutions across a range of sectors from rail, heavy manufacturing, oil and gas and power through to agriculture and horticulture.

“Our fleet includes euroliners, curtainsiders and tractor units for general haulage as well as a wide range of abnormal load transport equipment with options such as extendable trailers, machinery trailers, step frames and semi-low loaders. Our fleet is further bolstered by our specialist transport fleet including girder frames, SPMTs and modular trailers.”

Follow diversion signs

Sussex Police said there will be disruption while the operation is carried out from Shoreham Port to a site near Uckfield, between 7am and 3.30pm.

A spokesperson said: “A full closure of the eastbound and westbound carriageways on the A27 will be in force between Patcham and Devil’s Dyke, while the junctions at Ditchling Road, Carden Avenue, and Coldean Lane, will be closed.”

The police said diversions will be in place, and motorists are asked not to follow satellite navigation systems but ‘instead to follow the diversion signs’.