St Leonards: Queensway Gateway Road branded 'road to nowhere' as delays to works continue to 'cause chaos'

Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House of Commons, made the remarks after the issue was raised in Parliament by Hastings MP Helena Dollimore.

The Queensway Gateway Road was originally slated for completion in November 2016, but has been beset by a series of delays at various stages. The only stretch of the road which has yet to be completed is its final connection to the A21.

The final part of the road was set to be completed by December 31, 2024.

But in January this year East Sussex Highways said the works were not set to be complete until spring.

In April it issued a further update, saying the project would now not be complete until the summer.

Ms Dollimore said businesses had lost ‘millions’ due to the final stage of the project being delayed.

In Parliament she said the roadworks have been ‘wreaking havoc’ on the area.

The work began in September 2024 and a single-lane temporary traffic management system has been in place since, the MP said.

Speaking in Parliament, Ms Dollimore said: “The Queensway Gateway roadworks are causing chaos for my constituents. East Sussex County Council and Southern Water have not answered my question of why the moving of a major water main was not planned for before these works began.

“The need to do so is delaying those roadworks indefinitely. As the Leader of the House knows, I raised this matter with her six months ago. With works still dragging on and causing chaos, will she join me in calling on Conservative-run East Sussex County Council and Southern Water to get a grip and explain who is responsible for this chaos?”

Mrs Powell said: “I am shocked that six months after my hon. Friend first raised this issue with me, the road to nowhere is still going nowhere fast. She is absolutely right to call out the inaction of the Conservative-run East Sussex County Council and Southern Water, both of which I know she challenges day in, day out. I hope she gets some answers.”

Last month East Sussex Highways announced 3,000 cubic metres of earth would be removed from an embankment, with traffic signals returning to the A21 in Sedlescombe Road North on June 2.

It said: “These lights will remain in place until the final stage of the junction improvements is complete, with the closure area reduced to approximately half its previous length - from The Ridge flyover to the southern side of Junction Road. This means that the queuing time will be less than it was.

“We will also be manually operating the traffic lights at peak times to help with traffic flow. We know this can be frustrating and we aim to complete the works as soon as we possibly can. In the meantime, we thank you for your patience.

“Once the embankment is removed, the relocation of the water main can begin followed by work on the northern filter lane, signalised junction, and carriageway surfacing.

“We anticipate the final stage of the project to be complete this summer, but once work is underway, we should be able to give a clearer indication of the completion date.”

An East Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “We are continuing to work closely with Southern Water on the current phase of the scheme.

“This is a complex project with much of the work needing to be completed in sequence. Work to remove 3,000 cubic metres of earth from the embankment is nearly complete.

“Following the removal of most of the embankment, Southern Water will relocate the water main and they are due to start their work to move the pipe in early July.

“We can then complete the work to construct the remaining northern slip lane. The road scheme is expected to be completed later this summer.

“We are aware of the disruption being caused by the works and we would like to thank the public for their continued patience while we work to get this vital new road opened as quickly as possible.”

Southern Water has been approached for comment.