Motorists in East Sussex are to benefit from the opening of a new link road between Bexhill and Hastings.

A £120 million investment in the new carriageway is set to bear considerable fruit for local communities, businesses and travellers in the years to come, with the long-awaited Bexhill to Hastings link road – named Combe Valley Way – welcoming its first users this month.

Delivered as part of the Department for Transport's ongoing multi-billion pound investment in improved transport for the UK, the project aims to dramatically cut journey times for travellers in the area in the coming years, as well as providing essential infrastructure for the creation of 2,000 new homes and up to 3,000 new jobs.

Attending a gala opening ceremony for the new route on Wednesday (December 16th), transport minister Andrew Jones said: "This new south coast link will end years of frustration for local people, providing far quicker journeys across the region and unlocking ambitious development plans.

"The communities of Bexhill and Hastings have waited a long time for this day and now they have an improved road network to help them get around and get on."

Indeed, the first benefits to the local economy are already being witnessed, with new tenants moving into Glovers House – a 25,000 sq ft business centre on Combe Valley Way – this month.

Beautification efforts for the carriageway also remain ongoing, with more than 108,000 trees and shrubs to be planted along the new carriageway by April next year.