Urgent gas main replacement affecting the A295 South Road, Diplocks Way, Gordon Road and Ersham Road, Hailsham
From Monday 27 July, our contractors I&G Contractors Limited will be working to replace gas mains in Hailsham. These works have been planned with urgency to ensure we can continue to provide residents, businesses and the wider community with a safe and efficient gas supply and avoid further disruptive gas leaks in the future.
Due to the location of gas pipes in the road, for everyone’s safety, we will need to have temporary road closures in place. The following outlines our phased plans, and the map below shows the location of the work.
Phase one - A295 South Road
- Start date: Monday 27 July
- Location: from the junction with South Close to outside 38 South Road
- Traffic management: South Road will be temporarily closed from the junction with South Close to outside 38 South Road for approximately eight weeks. After reopening, works will continue towards 38 South Road under temporary traffic signals
Diplocks Way junction: while we replace the gas mains across the junction of Diplocks Way, we will need to close Diplocks Way at its junction with South Road.
Phase two - Diplocks Way (main section)
- Start date: Monday 10 August
- Location: from the junction with South Road to outside 1 Diplocks Way
- Traffic management: Diplocks Way will be closed at the junction with South Road while we replace the mains under 'give and take'
- Duration: approximately three weeks
Phase three - Gordon Road
- Start date: Monday 24 August
- Location: at the junction with South Road
- Traffic management: Gordon Road temporarily closed at its junction with South Road
- Duration: approximately four weeks
Phase four - B2104 Ersham Road
- Start date: Monday 12 October
- Location: from the junction of South Road to the junction of Windsor Close
- Traffic management: Ersham Road temporarily closed
- Duration: approximately three weeks - this is to complete as much work as possible before other major works in the area take place. We will need to return in 2027 to complete this phase of replacement.
What these temporary road closures will mean:
- No through vehicle access past the closures in either direction – signed diversion routes will be in place
- Resident/business vehicle access will be maintained via the appropriate diversion route. Our site team will keep those impacted informed about their access arrangements
- Pedestrian and cycle access will be maintained through the closures
- Bin collection days will remain unchanged unless you hear otherwise from your service provider
BUS ROUTES will be affected – please contact your service provider for the latest updates/changes to service
Why this work is needed
This gas main needs to be replaced - we can no longer provide long-term repairs, and replacing the pipe is the only permanent solution to avoid further disruptive repair works in the future.
We’ll be installing new plastic pipes with a lifespan of more than 80 years, ensuring a safer and more resilient network for local homes and businesses. This project has been planned with urgency in consultation with East Sussex Highways and will be carried out by our principal contractor, I&G Contractors Limited. We’ve scheduled the work for the summer holidays to reduce disruption as far as possible.
Why a road closure is necessary
The upgrade will be completed in phases across South Road, Diplocks Way, Gordon Road and Ersham Road. All closures are essential to keep the public and our teams safe around open excavations. Signed diversion routes will be in place when roads are closed.
Why our teams are unable to work 24 hours or overnight
It is not safe for our teams to work through the night with limited visibility - they are working on a live large diameter gas pipe in close proximity to critical utilities such as high voltage electric cables and water mains.
We appreciate that this is a busy location and the road closures may be disruptive for road users, businesses and residents. We are committed to completing the project as quickly and safely as possible, while keeping disruption to a minimum. Throughout the work, we’ll continue to work closely with East Sussex County Council and other key stakeholders to coordinate activity and keep the community informed.
Further details and progress updates will be available on this page.
We’d like to apologise in advance for any disruption these works may cause and thank you for your patience and understanding.