The A23 stays at 50mph northbound at Dale Hill, Broxmead Lane and Pyecombe slips shut at night, and no trains run via Haywards Heath on 10 and 11 October.
The northbound A23 at Dale Hill stays at 50mph around the clock, and its exit slip is shut every night except Sunday. Several more A23 slips close overnight this week: Broxmead Lane southbound on Friday 2 October, then the B2110 (Handcross) southbound entry slip and both Pyecombe southbound slips on Wednesday 7 October. All run 8pm to 6am.
On the railway, no trains run between Three Bridges and Brighton or Lewes on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October. That means no trains at Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Wivelsfield, Hassocks or Balcombe that weekend.
Just over the district line, a 50mph limit is now in force on the A264 Copthorne Way and the A2011 Crawley Avenue, for road widening at M23 junction 10. It is expected to last until March 2027.
This page tracks what is actually shut in Mid Sussex and what is coming next, on the roads, the footpaths and the railway. It was last checked against the sources on 2 October 2026.
What is closed right now
These are temporary traffic orders West Sussex County Council has published as statutory notices on the Public Notice Portal.
| Road or path | Extent | Closed until | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farlington Avenue, Haywards Heath | Entire length, in short sections | 13 November | Watermains replacement |
| Bridleway 12Hu, Hurstpierpoint | Bishopstone Lane to Cuckfield Road | Up to six months from 28 September | Broken footbridge |
| Footpath 10-1Ba, Balcombe | Haywards Heath Road to London Road (B2036) | 28 February 2027 | Railway embankment maintenance |
| Footpath 21cEG, East Grinstead | Harwoods Lane to Bridleway BW19cEG | Late January 2027 | Unsafe footbridge |
Heath Road in Haywards Heath was closed under a made order from 7 September, ref TTRO-2835-MM, which runs out today, 2 October, according to the county’s notice of 3 September. No notice extending it has appeared. We could not confirm on the ground that the road has reopened, so check before relying on it this evening.
The same goes for Scamps Hill in Lindfield Rural. Its culvert repair closure, ref TTRO-2753-MM, was notified in the county’s notice of 13 August for 1 September to 2 October. No later notice has appeared.
The Hurstpierpoint bridleway is new. The county’s notice of 24 September closes Bridleway 12Hu from Bishopstone Lane to Cuckfield Road because of a broken footbridge. It extends an emergency closure and took effect on 28 September, for six months or until the bridge is repaired, whichever is sooner. The council says no alternative route exists on the rights of way network. Ref TTRO-2896-MM.
Farlington Avenue and the East Grinstead footpath notices have rolled off the portal’s live listing, so we could not re-read either today. Treat both end dates as the original orders’, not as fresh confirmations.
Coming up: lower speed limits around Balcombe
The same notice proposes a permanent change to speed limits on the B2036 London Road at Balcombe. This is a proposal, not a decision. The county wants to:
- extend the 30mph limit south of the village to a point 90m south of the station car park entrance
- add a 40mph limit for 630m south of that
- cut the 50mph limit north of the village to 40mph, with short 40mph lengths on Paddockhurst Road and Stoney Lane at their junctions with London Road
Comments or objections must arrive before 15 October 2026. Email tro.consultation@westsussex.gov.uk quoting reference MDS2502-MM, or use the response form on the county’s Traffic Regulation Order page. Only responses with a full name and address are considered.
Just outside the district: the A264 Copthorne Way
The county’s notice of 30 September says it has made a 50mph order on the A2011 Crawley Avenue and the A264 Copthorne Way, between the Northgate Avenue roundabout and the A2220 Copthorne Way roundabout. The road is in Crawley, but it is the main route from Copthorne and East Grinstead to the M23. The order:
- came into force on 30 September 2026
- covers road widening and an extra lane on the approach to M23 junction 10
- is expected to stay in force until 5 March 2027
The contractor is Breheny Civil Engineering.
The A23 at Dale Hill: what the 50mph actually covers
This is the biggest thing on the district’s roads this autumn, and it will not appear on any county roadworks list, because the A23 belongs to National Highways.
The made order of 11 September, ref NH/SE/2026/A23/55, covers junction realignment work at Dale Hill Junction (A281), the turning for Poynings and Devil’s Dyke south of Pyecombe. From the order itself:
- The work is expected to last about two months, starting on or after Monday 21 September.
- The order came into force on 19 September and can run for up to eighteen months, ceasing when the work is complete.
- A 24 hour 50mph limit on the northbound A23, from about 600m south of the centreline of Pangdene Farm overbridge to about 60m east of the Dale Hill Junction (A281) overbridge.
- Overnight closures, 8pm to 6am, of the A23 between Mill Road roundabout and Dale Hill Junction, and of all roads leading to and from that length.
- The roads to and from the northbound A23 at Dale Hill Junction close for 24 hours, not just overnight.
- All lay-bys and bus stops alongside that stretch close for 24 hours.
- The shared use cycle track from Pyecombe street footbridge to West Road roundabout closes overnight, as does the road to the eastbound A27 at Devil’s Dyke interchange (A2038).
- Diversions use the A23, A24, A27, A259, A272 and A283.
One thing changed between the proposal and the order, and it matters if your vehicle is wide. The notice of 27 August proposed “a 24-hour width restriction of 3.25 metres in lane 1 and 3.0 metres in lane 2”. The made order instead imposes “a 24-hour width restriction of 2.3 metres in lane 2”, and sets no limit on lane 1. Both cover the same stretch of northbound carriageway, from about 240m north of Pangdene Farm overbridge to about 990m west of South Downs Way overbridge.
The made order is the operative document. A 2.3m limit is considerably tighter than the 3.0m that was proposed, and it is narrower than many vans are wide once mirrors are counted. We have not seen an explanation for the change published anywhere, and the notice does not give one.
A round the clock 50mph limit and a restricted northbound carriageway, held for two months through the autumn, is the sort of thing that reshapes a Brighton commute.
A23 and M23 nights, Thursday 1 to Wednesday 7 October
The A23 and M23 never appear on county roadworks listings. These come from the National Highways 7 day closure report, the edition covering Thursday 1 to Wednesday 7 October, downloaded today.
| Night | Closure |
|---|---|
| Every night except Sunday 4 Oct, 8pm to 6am | A23 northbound Dale Hill exit slip, for the Dale Hill works above |
| Thu 1 to Sun 4 Oct, 8pm to 6am | A23 Pease Pottage roundabout, south west section, no access to the A264, for M23 junction 11 survey works |
| Fri 2 Oct, 8pm to 6am | A23 southbound Broxmead Lane exit slip, vegetation works |
| Wed 7 Oct, 8pm to 6am | A23 southbound B2110 entry slip, maintenance |
| Wed 7 Oct, 8pm to 6am | A23 southbound Pyecombe entry and exit slips, vegetation works |
| Tue 6 Oct, 10pm to 5.30am | M23 northbound junction 8 link roads to the M25, both directions, emergency carriageway repairs |
| Thu 1, Fri 2, then Mon 5 to Wed 7 Oct, 9pm to 6am | A23 eastbound London Road exit slip, on the Gatwick approach, street lighting |
Three things are worth pulling out of that table.
This week the southbound slips take their turn. Last week the northbound slips at Bolney, Bolney services, Handcross and Pease Pottage closed on successive nights. This week it is Broxmead Lane on Friday, then the B2110 entry slip and both Pyecombe slips on Wednesday.
The Dale Hill exit slip gets Sunday night off, the first night without it since the scheme started. National Highways now describes the overall scheme as carriageway renewal between Patcham and Pyecombe, alongside work on the A27 between the Adur and Patcham.
The Pease Pottage closure runs through the weekend this time, every night from Thursday to Sunday, and is not in the report from Monday. It takes out the link to the A264, the Horsham and Crawley road.
National Highways reissues this report every day, and it adds nights between editions, so check it again if you are travelling late in the week.
East Grinstead parking permits went up on 1 October
The county’s 10 September notice raised permit charges in the East Grinstead Controlled Parking Zone from 1 October, without printing the new prices. Mid Sussex District Council has now published them on its parking permits page.
A first resident permit is now £68 a year in Zone A (was £63) and £40 in Zone B (was £37). Visitor permits rose by about 17%, to 70p for two hours. Every old and new price is in our story on the East Grinstead permit rise.
The railway
Southern’s Brighton Main Line page was re-read on 2 October and still lists these three closures. All affect Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill.
- Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026: no trains between Three Bridges and Brighton, Hove or Lewes. Replacement buses run Three Bridges to Preston Park calling at all stations, Three Bridges to Lewes calling at Haywards Heath and Cooksbridge, Balcombe to Brighton calling at all stations, and Haywards Heath to Plumpton. Southern strongly advises London passengers to use the diverted Brighton to Victoria train via Littlehampton and Horsham rather than the buses. Buses between Three Bridges and Brighton run only at the start and end of the day, when the direct trains via Littlehampton are not running.
- Sunday 10 January 2027: no trains between Gatwick Airport and Purley or East Croydon. Details of replacement services will follow nearer the time.
- Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 February 2027: a nine day closure between Three Bridges and Lewes, Brighton or Hove via Haywards Heath, timed for the February half term.
The Haywards Heath to Lewes line, closed after a train derailed near Lewes on 13 August, reopened at the start of September. Southern’s service update says recovery and repair are complete. We covered the reopening when trains started running again.
What it means for you
- Driving to Brighton: build in extra time. The 50mph limit on the northbound A23 at Dale Hill runs around the clock, not just during the works. Night closures are 8pm to 6am.
- Driving a van or towing: check your width before using lane 2 northbound at Dale Hill. The made order sets the limit at 2.3m, tighter than the 3.0m originally proposed.
- Heading south on the A23 at night: Broxmead Lane exit slip is shut on Friday 2 October, and the B2110 entry slip and both Pyecombe slips on Wednesday 7 October.
- Travelling by train on 10 and 11 October: there are no trains through Haywards Heath or Burgess Hill. For London, Southern advises the diverted Brighton to Victoria train via Horsham rather than the replacement buses.
- Heading for the M23 from Copthorne or East Grinstead: the A264 Copthorne Way is down to 50mph until about March 2027.
- Living or driving near Balcombe: you have until 15 October to comment on the proposed 30mph and 40mph limits on London Road.
- Walking in Hurstpierpoint: Bridleway 12Hu between Bishopstone Lane and Cuckfield Road is shut, with no signed alternative.
The 2026-27 county programme
Beyond this month’s closures, West Sussex County Council’s Highways, Transport and Planning Delivery Programme 2026-2027 contains 87 schemes inside the Mid Sussex district, of which 17 had not started when the programme was published. It is the council’s own delivery plan, so it is the best guide there is to where the cones will be over the rest of the year.
| Type of work | Schemes |
|---|---|
| Carriageway and footway (resurfacing, patching, micro surfacing, surface dressing) | 38 |
| Bus stop infrastructure (Bus Service Improvement Plan phase 4) | 16 |
| Community highways schemes (crossings, speed limits, footways) | 8 |
| Drainage schemes | 8 |
| Traffic signals | 4 |
| Countryside and rights of way | 4 |
| Structures (bridges and culverts) | 4 |
| Road safety | 2 |
| Other (active travel, transport information, local transport improvement) | 3 |
By parish, East Grinstead has the most work with 15 schemes, then Burgess Hill with 12, Worth with 8, Hassocks with 7 and Haywards Heath with 6.
The pattern worth noticing is drainage. Eight separate drainage schemes for one district is a lot, and the Albourne closure in August was one of them reaching the ground. If your road floods, the county’s own list is the place to check whether anything is planned for it.
The schemes still to start
Listed as pre-construction, meaning designed or awaiting build:
Burgess Hill
- Keymer Road, Clay Hill to Broadlands: major drainage scheme.
- Valebridge Road, Rose Walk to the outfall: major drainage scheme.
- Civic Way: pedestrian crossing near The Martlets, signals upgrade.
- London Road at Maple Drive: signals upgrade.
East Grinstead
- Hazelden Bridge, Imberhorne Lane: structures refurbishment.
- Beeching Way, between Lewes Road and the College Lane flyover: drainage.
- Escots Primary School, Bourg de Peage Avenue: footway and pedestrian improvements.
Haywards Heath and around
- Orchard Close: major drainage scheme.
- Borde Hill Lane (C309): local safety scheme.
- Walstead Culvert, Scaynes Hill Road: structures scheme.
Villages
- Cuckfield Road, Hurstpierpoint: village-wide speed limit improvement.
- Keymer Road, Keymer: speed limit improvement.
- The Street, Albourne, at the Church Lane junction: major drainage.
- Clayton Hill, Pyecombe, at the bridleway crossing by the golf club: footway improvements.
- Turners Hill Road (C319): road safety improvement.
- Brighton Road, Slaugham: bus stop travel information.
- Wallage Lane, Worth: minor drainage.
The last two village entries are the ones that were on the ground this month. The night closures from 15 to 23 September covered both Turners Hill Road and Wallage Lane, which is a useful check on the programme: what is listed there does eventually arrive. A village-wide speed limit scheme at Hurstpierpoint and a major drainage scheme on The Street at Albourne both tend to mean sustained traffic management rather than a couple of nights’ work.
The roads that matter here
Mid Sussex has one strategic road and several pinch points, and knowing which is which tells you where a closure actually hurts.
- The A23 runs north to south through the western half of the district, past Bolney, Warninglid and Handcross, linking the M23 at Pease Pottage to Brighton. It is a National Highways road, so county roadworks listings will not show works on it.
- The A272 crosses the district east to west through Cuckfield and Haywards Heath. When the A23 is shut, this is the road that fills up.
- The A22 and A264 serve East Grinstead, which is the town furthest from the A23 and the one whose traffic has nowhere obvious to divert to.
- The B2036 and B2112 carry the Haywards Heath, Lindfield and Ardingly traffic and are single carriageway throughout.
What parking costs
Mid Sussex District Council runs the pay and display car parks in Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and East Grinstead. Charges apply 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sundays and bank holidays, and an hour costs £1.20 in Burgess Hill, £1.30 in Haywards Heath and £1.40 in East Grinstead.
Full tariffs for all three towns, the short stay trap that adds up to £2.80 to an all-day stay, season ticket prices, the East Grinstead resident permit zones, blue badge rules and station parking are on our parking in Mid Sussex page. It also covers the permanent closure of Burgess Hill’s Martlets multi-storey in March 2026.
Checking what is closed today
- Public Notice Portal carries the county council’s statutory traffic orders in full: exact extent, dates, reason and reference. It is the primary record and the source for the closures listed above. Search on a full postcode.
- National Highways publishes the 7 day closure report as a spreadsheet, reissued daily. This is where A23 and M23 closures appear, and nowhere else.
- West Sussex roadworks and projects carries the council’s own announcements of larger schemes.
- Southern service updates for the rail position.
Two limits on this page are worth stating. one.network, which West Sussex links to as its roadworks map, asks for an account to see the list view. And statutory notices roll off the Public Notice Portal’s live listing after about a month, so a long closure notified in July cannot be re-read in September. Where that applies above, we have said so.
Utility works are the ones that catch people out. They can be booked at short notice and they are not in any council delivery programme. The watermains work in Haywards Heath is exactly that shape: three separate roads, each with its own order, appearing a few weeks apart.
Have your say