Brighton's Western Road Reopens To Eastbound Traffic

Tuesday, 15 August 2023 08:46

By Jade McLean

An artist's impression of what Western Road will look like on completion.

Roadworks on Brighton's Western Road, which necessitated a controversial diversion up Montpelier Road, have now been removed, allowing buses back along the busy shopping street.

Roadworks will still be present on the street for some time to come however, as the council continues to upgrade the city centre, into next year.

Pavement and road resurfacing work are expected until December 2023, between Montpelier Road and Churchill Square, with work opposite Churchill Square to be carried out between January and June 2024.

The multimillion-pound revamp is being funded by government grants, including £2 million from the “Active Travel Fund” and £1.5 million from the “Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund”.

The council will also use a portion of the £27.9 million grant from the Department for Transport for the “Bus Service Improvement Plan” to help fund the revamp.

The council says the Bus Service Improvement Plan aims to reduce journey times and bus fares and provide a “more comprehensive” service across Brighton and Hove.

The project has caused controversy with local residents, one of whom started a petition last December “Stop half a million buses on Brighton’s Upper North Street and Montpelier Terrace” – on Change.org.

It was argued that safety issues would arise - in terms of pollution and increased traffic - and that damage could potentially be caused to "heritage homes which are currently protected by a 7.5-tonne weight limit".

A public consultation took place early last year and members of the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee approved the project in July 2022, although it was argued that the consultation had not given clear enough details about what the project would involve.

Updates to follow,