A22 and A2290 Improvements

Overview

A22 and A2290 Improvements Consultation

East Sussex is an attractive and prosperous place to live, work and visit – the County Council is committed to supporting development in the area and the growth of the local economy.

A22 and A2290 – an important transport route

The southern section of the A22 provides an important route linking Hailsham, Polegate and Stone Cross in the south Wealden area to Eastbourne. The A2290 (Lottbridge Drove) in Eastbourne links the southern end of the A22 Golden Jubilee Way with the A259 at Seaside roundabout. The A22 and A2290 corridors provide access for local communities to healthcare, education, retail and leisure uses as well as providing access to the seafront area in Eastbourne. It is also important for supporting the delivery of potential new housing, growth in the local economy and access to jobs.

The challenge

There is often heavy traffic on the A22 and A2290 at peak times. Development is planned in south Wealden and Eastbourne which will increase the amount of traffic in the area. Without improvements, this congestion will increase, which will undermine the local economy and reduce access to key locations.   We have developed possible junction improvements on the A22 Hailsham bypass and near Stone Cross that will reduce congestion, and provide more road space for private and public transport as well as for cyclists and pedestrians.

We are currently seeking Major Road Network funding from Central Government to enable the delivery of the package of improvements to the A22 junctions on Hailsham bypass and at Stone Cross. This will be supported with financial contributions already secured by Wealden District Council from housing developments in their area.

Your comments about the proposals for the A22 will inform the business case for these improvements and your comments on the A2290 will inform the further development of these schemes.

Why do we need to do this work?

Locally, the A22 and A2290 are important roads that experience high levels of traffic and congestion, particularly at peak times. In order for the area to continue to grow and prosper we need to upgrade this route.

Traffic data has been analysed to understand the use of the route - the findings of this analysis have shown that as well as local and visitor traffic, the local road network carries a large volume of long distance through-traffic. This traffic comes into Eastbourne and the south Wealden area via an inconsistent and predominantly single carriageway road network.

Furthermore, there are often delays and congestion on the route. If we don’t do anything journeys will take longer, congestion will increase and traffic will spread onto local roads. This will cause congestion and safety concerns on other roads.

Improvements at key junctions made as part of these proposals will enable us to improve capacity and access to sustainable transport on the A22 in South Wealden and the A2290 (Lottbridge Drove) in Eastbourne. The junctions have been designed to improve their operation and to provide future capacity for the projected growth until 2030.

For further detail on the proposals please download our full brochure.