We have revealed details of the junction we’re working with East Sussex County Council and National Highways to design to connect the new Queensway Gateway road to the A21 (Sedlescombe Road North) in Hastings.

The junction is designed to improve local traffic flows by opening the full extent of Queensway Gateway (now officially named Whitworth Road).

Our studies have shown the junction will perform well, handling traffic volumes forecast up to 2037, including during rush hour periods.

In addition to having a long lifespan, creating it will not require any local businesses to relocate and will involve a relatively short period of roadworks.

Junction details

The junction will be widened to create two unsignalized turn lanes – for traffic heading north from Queensway Gateway onto the A21, and for northbound A21 vehicles heading west onto Queensway Gateway. It will also incorporate a signalised turn lane for southbound A21 traffic heading west down Queensway Gateway and for Queensway Gateway traffic turning right to head southbound down the A21 towards Hastings.

The new junction will ease local traffic flows by separating turning vehicles from traffic continuing on main routes. It will also benefit residents on roads such as Maplehurst Road, which have become rat runs, by providing a faster and safer route for westbound traffic.

 

In more detail:

  • The new junction will alleviate the current issues with southbound A21 traffic turning west into Junction Road and obstructing traffic heading into Hastings – by providing a separate turn lane into Queensway Gateway for westbound vehicles.
  • Congestion on The Ridge will be substantially alleviated as vehicles travelling between Bexhill and the A21 will use Queensway Gateway instead. Vehicles should also no longer be tempted to use Maplehurst Road as a shortcut.
  • Junction Road will be closed, which will particularly alleviate eastbound congestion on The Ridge as vehicles that currently queue to turn into Junction Road will be diverted along Queensway Gateway instead. Recent traffic surveys show that most traffic currently using Junction Road is to/from the north at the A21 junction and to/from the west at The Ridge junction.
  • Vehicles travelling along Queensway Gateway will benefit from the traffic lights at the new A21 junction by having regular opportunities to turn safely southbound on to the A21 towards Hastings. Opportunities for traffic heading northbound onto the A21 to pull out will also regularly be created by the lights.

Timescales

Construction to create the new junction will take eight weeks and can start when we receive permission from East Sussex County Council and National Highways (in the form of a ‘Section 278’ legal agreement). We are waiting for the two highways authorities to finalise this agreement.

East Sussex County Council advised, in its 19 November report to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), that:

“A Section 278 legal agreement between Sea Change Sussex, East Sussex County Council and National Highways … is anticipated for completion in early Spring 2022.”

East Sussex County Council has also said that:

“Opening the route to traffic will be subject to TROs [traffic regulation orders] to close off Junction Road and to introduce parking restrictions on Whitworth Road.” East Sussex County Council, the body responsible for establishing these orders, has already put the first in place and is now progressing the second.