New road building plans could either jeopardise the reopening of the Uckfield-Lewes line, or make provision for it.

An inner relief road, which could block the trackbed in Uckfield town centre, is being proposed by East Sussex County Council.

In the 1960s, the same council built a road across the trackbed at Lewes and then breached the rail route again in the 1980s with the Uckfield western bypass.

This time, Railfuture is calling for the new road, which will have to bridge the River Uck near the trackbed, to bridge the route for the reopened railway too.
 
ESCC has been consulting the public on its four options for Uckfield traffic improvements, until 23 April 2012.

This is the same council which says in its recently adopted third Local Transport Plan: "Reinstatement of the Uckfield to Lewes railway line – this continues to be an aspiration of the county council as it would significantly improve sustainable access to the major towns in the county, to the coast and to London and also have wider benefits should the Eridge-Tunbridge Wells (Spa Valley) line be fully reinstated." 

District, town and parish councils all say they want the line reopened.
 
The reopening was recommended in Connecting Communities, produced by the Association of Train Operating Companies.

Railfuture calls on East Sussex County Council to develop the Option D Phase 2 scheme and explore ways of funding the scheme together with Wealden District Council, Network Rail, the Department for Transport, the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, and prospective property developers.
 
Railfuture says: Bridge the gap. Do not block the route!
 
Reopening the line would create another main line serving East Sussex, west Kent and east Surrey and link them to London.

The council’s consultation can still be viewed at ImpUck