The Exceat Bridge

Exceat Bridge carries the A259 across the River Cuckmere. It is located in the Seven Sisters Country Park within the South Downs National Park which attracts many thousands of visitors each year.

As part of our Major Road Network, the A259 is an important route for economic connectivity, linking communities from the east of the County along the coastal corridor including Eastbourne, Seaford, Newhaven, Peacehaven and Telscombe Cliffs through to Brighton. Long distance traffic and freight generally use the A27. Work was carried out by National Highways between 2020 and 2022 to make small scale improvements to the A27 at Polegate and the Berwick roundabout near Drusillas, as well as providing a shared footway/cycle route between Lewes and Polegate. This was to ensure long distance traffic continue to use this route rather than the A259 and local roads.

Exceat bridge was originally built around 1870 so that horses and carts could cross the River Cuckmere. It was extensively repaired in the 1970s but is now reaching the end of its life.  It is a single-lane bridge with priority given to traffic travelling east which means that traffic backs up in both directions at peak times. As a short-term measure, we introduced temporary traffic lights on the bridge to manage traffic flow more effectively and increase the bridge’s lifespan. The layout of the pavements mean that pedestrians need to cross the road twice to access the footway on the north side.

However, due to its age, the bridge is costly to maintain and will require replacement in the near future. Therefore, we are taking this opportunity to improve the design of the bridge for pedestrians, wheelers, cyclists and vehicles.