Major repair works under way after sinkhole appears in Bexhill road

Temporary traffic lights have been put in place this week after the ‘void’ was discovered in the carriageway in Upper Sea Road in the Old Town.

East Sussex Highways said the road will need resurfacing and a nearby road gully reset.

On Monday (February 5) bus company Stagecoach said buses in the area were being diverted due to a ‘large pothole’, with services 98 and 99 towards Hastings unable to serve the Old Town in Bexhill, travelling along Magdalen Road and Dorset Road ‘until further notice’.

The firm reported the incident to East Sussex Highways.

On Tuesday (February 6), a spokesperson for Stagecoach said the company was now able to run its buses on the usual route.

“However we will be unable to serve the Manor Barn bus stop on Upper Sea Road where the works are being carried out,” the spokesperson added.

An East Sussex Highways spokesperson said: “We are working to repair a void in the carriageway on Upper Sea Road and temporary traffic lights are in place to ensure the safety of the travelling public.

“The repair work will include the resetting of a nearby road gully as well as resurfacing the road.

“We plan to complete the repairs by Friday, February 9 and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Last November, residents in nearby Cantelupe Road demanded a sinkhole in their road be repaired months after it was first discovered.

It was spotted in the summer, which led to part of the road being closed off to traffic.

But months later, the restrictions were still in place and the hole remained unrepaired.

And in June 2022, a large sinkhole also appeared elsewhere in Bexhill in Colebrooke Road.

The hole was believed to be up to four metres deep and a water pipe was reportedly leaking due to the collapse of the road.

The road was closed to traffic and cordoned off, with East Sussex Fore and Rescue Service attending the scene.

South East Water then started urgent repairs to the road in Collington.

Three months later, the road was still closed to traffic, with East Sussex Highways apologising for the continued closure, saying the repair process was ‘extremely complex’.