THE Bexhill to Hastings Link Road project is gathering pace with a project to move 750,000 tonnes of material due to take place this month.

Earth will be moved from the centre line of the new road and used to improve other areas of the scheme. All material will be kept on the site of the Link Road.

“Everybody will be working at full capacity from the middle of the month onwards,” said Bob Pape, project manager for the Link Road.

At the London Road end of the scheme work will continue to lay the road surface between the Chapel Path underpass and Woodsgate Park Bridge this month.

Work on the Chapel Path underpass is almost complete and is due to be open to the public shortly. Work on Woodsgate Park Bridge is on schedule and the bridge should be open to traffic around the end of the month.

A temporary service bridge is now in place alongside the existing Ninfield Bridge. The existing services and footpath are in the process of being moved to the temporary structure.

“We are currently on course to finish the work towards the end of May. The old bridge will then be closed, demolished and the new one built,” said Mr Pape. Traffic diversions will be advertised in advance of the closure.

A barn at Adams Farm has been relocated to the other side of the existing farm, away from the line of the new Link Road.

At the Queensway end of the scheme, the construction of the new railway bridge continues with work on a concrete pier and the west abutment underway. On the east abutment, workers are preparing to pour 600 cubic metres of concrete which will take a full day to complete.

When complete, the new road will bring major economic benefits to Bexhill and Hastings including 2,000 new homes, 3,000 new jobs and more than £1 billion of economic benefits.

It will also relieve the high level of traffic congestion on the A259 between the two towns.

Ends.