Night works begin in road tunnel

Major works on an East Sussex town's road tunnel, expected to take six months to complete, have begun.

The Culfail Tunnel in Lewes will be closed at night during the first major overhaul since its opening in 1980.

Work will be carried out from Monday to Friday between 2000 and 0600 until June to "reduce disruption".

East Sussex County Council said the new tunnel lining and lighting system will improve safety, be more efficient and will use less power.

A spokesperson for the council said: "We are carrying out this work to reduce future maintenance costs and to improve the way the tunnel looks."

Traffic will be diverted through the town in both directions and a "sound-curtain" will be installed over each end of the tunnel to reduce the noise of the equipment.