Next Monday, March 23, roadworks to replace a gas main at the junction of Military Road with Rye Hill will start and then, two weeks later, to replace another section of the gas main on the town side of the railway bridge are due to begin.
Lights will control traffic going up and down the hill from Monday and traffic into Military Road will be diverted via Appledore - though many are expected to take the shortcut along Houghton Green Lane as they have done before when there were roadworks on Rye Hill.
When the roadworks (and full details with maps are on the Rye Town Council website) move down to the railway bridge completely blocking off Rye Hill traffic is supposed to be diverted via Hastings and Northiam.
However those who know the area better than the East Sussex County Council (ESCC) Highways Department will probably take the Udimore Road (much used by heavy traffic trying to avoid Hastings), cutting off a corner and cutting journey time to Peasmarsh to around 35 minutes.
But how the buses to Northiam and Tenterden - or indeed the community bus which just goes round the outskirts of Rye - will get round the roadworks and provide any sort of service is still unclear.
Those able to walk may be able to get round the obstruction to the doctors and hospital on Rye Hill - but those who do not have cars and can not afford a lengthy taxi journey face major problems.
But the gas networkwork company has been ignoring these problems since November and there are no only two weeks left for East Sussex Council to take public concerns seriously.
Health concerns are however now a national issue so ESCC may be forced to step in at the last minute to finally resolve these problems - which were raised back in November.
