Last updated: 9 October 2026 at 20:15 BST
The A27 will close in both directions between Berwick Roundabout and Polegate from 9pm tonight, Friday 9 October, until 6am on Saturday. The same overnight closure is scheduled again from 9pm on Saturday 10 October until 6am on Sunday.
In short
- The A27 Berwick to Polegate closure affects both carriageways.
- It runs from 9pm to 6am on Friday and Saturday nights, ending on Sunday morning.
- National Highways is removing dead or dying ash trees that pose a safety risk.
- The signed eastbound diversion uses the A27 westbound, A26 northbound and A22 southbound.
- Emergency-service access will be maintained; drivers should allow extra time and check the live closure report before leaving.
What is closing and when
National Highways’ official maintenance notice lists the full overnight closure from Berwick Roundabout to Polegate for 9 to 11 October. The road is due to reopen at 6am after each night’s work.
The work is part of an ash-dieback programme. National Highways says dead or dying trees near the strategic road network can become a safety risk and must be removed or made safe.
Polegate Town Council’s published notice independently confirms the two-night timetable and says the work may generate noise.
A27 Berwick to Polegate closure diversion
For eastbound traffic, National Highways says drivers should first travel west on the A27, leave for the A26 northbound, continue to Little Horsted Roundabout and then take the A22 southbound via the Uckfield Bypass. The route rejoins the A27 at Polegate.
The authority has not published the westbound route as a separate step-by-step list on the scheme page. Follow the signed diversion at the closure point rather than relying on a sat-nav shortcut through villages.
Why it matters locally
This is the direct A27 link used for late journeys between Lewes, Berwick, Polegate and Eastbourne. The official eastbound diversion goes well north through the A26 and A22, so even light overnight traffic faces a substantially longer trip.
The timing also overlaps a weekend of major rail disruption. Brighton Locals has a separate guide to the Brighton Main Line closure and replacement buses.
What drivers should do
- Clear the closed stretch before 9pm if possible.
- Allow extra fuel and time for the A26–A22 diversion.
- Do not use narrow local roads as an unofficial shortcut.
- Check the National Highways daily closure report shortly before travel because planned works can change.
Brighton Locals’ view
Editorial judgement: removing diseased roadside trees is necessary safety work, but closing both carriageways makes this a significant disruption rather than a routine lane restriction. The lack of a separately written westbound diversion on the scheme page makes the signed route especially important.
What to watch next
The closure should finish at 6am on Sunday 11 October. National Highways also lists overnight closures between Southerham Roundabout and Berwick Roundabout from 19 to 24 October, so this is not the last A27 disruption east of Lewes this month.
Featured image: the A22/A27 roundabout at Polegate, the eastern end of the affected corridor. Archive photograph by David Howard, 3 April 2016. Source: Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.0. The image does not show the current closure.
Bottom line
Avoid the A27 between Berwick and Polegate after 9pm tonight and Saturday. If you must travel, use the signed A26–A22 diversion and build substantial extra time into the journey.
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