St Leonards: Temporary traffic lights to be reintroduced in work to complete delayed Queensway Gateway Road project

The final part of the scheme 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.

On its website East Sussex Highways said: “We are currently finalising plans for the final push to completion with the removal of 3,000 cubic metres of earth from an embankment - equivalent to about eight standard swimming pools.

“We are also working closely with Southern Water to relocate a water main at the same time.

“We are working well with partners and need to ensure we have an agreed plan and timeline in place before we reintroduce temporary traffic lights to allow us to carry out the work. Timings will be shared with the public as soon as they are confirmed.

“Work that doesn’t require traffic management is continuing on the site.

“Works will also be returning to ‘The Ridge’ from Monday, May 19 for two weeks whilst the cycleway entrance and immediate landscaping is concluded.

“Temporary traffic lights will be in place for the safety of the operatives on-site and for road users with manual control between 7am and 7pm to reduce disruption and keep queue lengths to a minimum.”

East Sussex Highways said a number of road closures between Dunelm and the junction of the A28 have been scheduled to accommodate the removal and reinstatement of the traffic lights.

There will be a road closure on Thursday, May 22 from 10pm-6am and one on Tuesday, May 27 from midnight to 6am.

Last month Hastings MP Helena Dollimore said businesses had lost ‘millions’ due to the final stage of the Queensway Gateway Road building project being delayed.

She said: “Many of my constituents have written to me about the misery of the constant stand-still traffic and the adverse effects it is having on their lives.”

An East Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “We’d like to thank the public for their patience.

“This is a huge project and, as with any highways scheme of this scale, we have had to overcome a number of unexpected issues including the discovery of cables, pipes and a water main that were not shown correctly on official plans.

“We are aware of the disruption being caused and want to assure people that we are doing everything we can to complete the project and get the new road open as quickly as possible.”