Western Road's rebuild has 16 bus routes diverted until 6 November. Plus A259 works starting in Hove, Nevill Avenue shut from 5 October and this week's A27 nights.

Western Road’s rebuild is in its first week, and the buses have left it. Brighton & Hove Buses has diverted 16 routes away from the stretch between Montpelier Road and Palmeira Square until 6 November, and twelve side streets around the works are two-way. Two seafront schemes start in the coming weeks: the A259 Hove to Portslade cycle and pavement rebuild, beginning between Fourth Avenue and Hove Street, and the next phase of the King’s Road arches, between the Bandstand and The Seahorse. Nevill Avenue in Hove closes westbound from Monday 5 October. On the trunk roads, the A23 northbound exit at Dale Hill shuts on most nights to 7 October and the A27 eastbound from Lewes Road to Ashcombe shuts on Thursday and Friday nights. Below: what is shut now, what is coming, and the live maps to check on the day.

Diagram of Brighton's three key routes: the A27 bypass across the top of the city, the A23 London Road running south into the centre, and the A259 along the seafront, with Valley Gardens Phase 3 works where the A23 meets the sea at the Palace Pier junction

Western Road: where the buses go until 6 November

Brighton & Hove Buses says that, because of the roadworks, it cannot serve all stops between Waitrose and Palmeira Square. Its notice runs from 7am on 28 September to 6 November 2026 (Brighton & Hove Buses service updates).

Three stops are out of use:

  • Norfolk Square
  • Brunswick Place
  • Montpelier Road (Waitrose)

The diversions are:

Direction Routes Diversion
Towards Hove All affected routes except 1X, 2 and 46 Montpelier Road, Davigdor Road and Holland Road, rejoining the normal route at Palmeira Square
Towards Hove 1X, 2 and 46 Montpelier Road, Montpelier Place and Holland Road, rejoining at Palmeira Square
Towards Brighton All affected routes Holland Road, Lansdowne Road and Montpelier Road, rejoining at Waitrose

The operator lists 16 affected routes: 1, 1X, 2, 5, 5A, 5B, 6, 21, 25, 46, 49, 60, 71, 71A, N1 and N5. Route 71A is affected in one direction only, towards Mile Oak. All stops on the diversion routes are served, and the operator asks passengers to allow extra time.

The council has still not published its own phasing plan or closure points for the works. Its August release promised details of traffic management and access “before work starts”, and none had appeared in its newsroom when we checked again on 1 October. The bus operator’s notice and the traffic order below are the only public documents.

Twelve streets are now two-way for Western Road

A temporary order made on 7 September suspends the one-way orders on twelve streets around Western Road, so that traffic can move in both directions while the road is dug up. The order came into force on 28 September 2026 and is anticipated to be complete by 6 November 2026. The council republished the notice on 21 September (temporary traffic order).

The streets that become two-way are:

  • Lansdowne Street
  • Brunswick Street West
  • Farm Road
  • Brunswick Street East, between Lower Market Street and Western Road
  • Waterloo Street
  • Brunswick Road
  • Little Western Street, between Norfolk Place and Western Road
  • Norfolk Square, both sides of the green
  • Norfolk Square, from Bedford Place
  • Bedford Place
  • Borough Street
  • Norfolk Road

Pedestrian access is to be maintained and a signed diversion route will be in place for vehicles. The bus operator’s notice and the traffic order both give 6 November as the end date. The council’s August announcement said only “about 45 days” of phased closures. We have covered the works in full: Western Road Brighton, phased closures from 28 September. Cabinet has also approved a Red Route for the rebuilt road: what was decided.

If you live on one of those twelve streets, the change is physical. A road you have driven one way for years now takes oncoming traffic. Junctions you have always pulled out of without looking both ways will need looking both ways.

The seafront: two schemes starting in October

The council announced both on consecutive days this week. Neither announcement gives a start date beyond “the coming weeks”, and neither has a traffic order on the Public Notice Portal yet, which we checked on 1 October.

A259 Hove to Portslade Active Travel Scheme. Work “is set to begin in the coming weeks” on the A259 between Fourth Avenue and the city’s western boundary (council, 30 September 2026). What it will build:

  • a separated two-way cycle lane
  • new pavements and bus stops
  • safer, better aligned crossings and junctions
  • new loading bays and disabled parking bays

The first section is Fourth Avenue to Hove Street. A work compound goes on the south side of the A259 opposite Westbourne Villas. The council says access to homes and businesses will be kept open throughout, and the contractor will contact occupants before working directly outside a property. The contractor is Edburton, according to the scheme page, whose work schedule still reads “coming soon”. Newsletters come from transport.projects@brighton-hove.gov.uk, with “A259 Hove to Portslade” in the subject line.

King’s Road arches, Bandstand to The Seahorse. Construction on the next phase of the arches rebuild is due to start “in the next couple of weeks” (council, 28 September 2026). A work compound has been built west of the Bandstand and the area round the arches is fenced off. The council’s project page says King’s Road carries more than 25,000 vehicles and 2,100 cyclists a day on average. It also says phase 4, between the Bandstand and the i360, needs the King’s Road paddling pool area closed while it runs. We covered the pool’s closure in August: the council’s search for a partner. The council has not published any lane closures on King’s Road for this phase.

Closures now in force, and the next to start

Where What From Expected until
Tongdean Avenue, Hove, at number 61, about 50 metres Road closed, new sewer connection 28 September 2026 17 October 2026
Nevill Avenue, Hove, westbound from number 202 to Hangleton Road Road closed westbound, gas governor replacement 5 October 2026 13 November 2026
Applesham Way, Portslade, from Old Shoreham Road to Melrose Avenue Road closed, gas mains replacement 21 September 2026 26 October 2026
Old Farm Road, Brighton, from Graham Avenue to Braybon Avenue Road closed, gas mains replacement 21 September 2026 2 November 2026
Walpole Road, Brighton, eastern kerb line Loading bay and about 25 metres of permit or pay-by-phone bays suspended 16 September 2026 15 February 2028

The Nevill Avenue closure starts on Monday. The council gave notice on 23 September that it intends to make the order, which the notice spells “Neville Avenue” (council notice, 23 September 2026). Only westbound traffic is stopped. Pedestrian access stays open and a diversion will be signed.

The council made both gas mains orders on 16 September, so Applesham Way and Old Farm Road are confirmed rather than proposed (Applesham Way, Old Farm Road). The Tongdean Avenue closure keeps pedestrian access open and has a signed diversion (Tongdean Avenue). The Walpole Road suspension is for the redevelopment of the Convent Boarding House for Brighton College. Its anticipated end date is 15 February 2028, so treat that parking as gone rather than briefly unavailable (council order, 16 September 2026).

Still closed: the long-running orders

These are the council’s temporary orders under section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which is the formal record of what is shut. Each runs “for eighteen months or until such sooner time as the works are completed”, so the date to plan around is the anticipated finish, not the legal maximum.

  • Western Esplanade cycle lane, Hove. Closed from the western edge of the King Alfred Leisure Centre to the junction with Hove Street, about 200 metres, for a new electricity supply. The council made the order on 2 September and it came into force on 7 September, with completion anticipated by 14 October 2026. The adjacent footway is shared space for people walking and cycling for the duration. The road itself is open (temporary traffic order, made 2 September 2026).
  • Carden Crescent, Peacock Lane and Hallett Road (Patcham and Hanover). Carden Crescent is closed southbound at Carden Avenue. Peacock Lane is closed from Woodland Way to outside number 56, with its one-way order suspended so residents can get in and out. Hallett Road is closed from Pankhurst Road to Elm Grove. In force since 3 August 2026 for gas main replacement, anticipated to finish 16 November 2026 (temporary traffic order, made 29 July 2026).
  • Walpole Road (Kemptown), closure at Eastern Road. Closed for a new electricity connection, with pedestrian access kept open and a signed diversion. The order was made on 12 August 2026 and the works were anticipated to finish on 28 August 2026, a date that has now passed. The notice had dropped off the Public Notice Portal’s live list when we checked on 1 October, but no completion notice has been published, so treat the reopening as expected rather than confirmed (temporary traffic order, 12 August 2026).

Old Shoreham Road at Hangleton Road: still unconfirmed. The gas mains order that closed Old Shoreham Road westbound, Boundary Road northbound and Hangleton Road southbound gave an anticipated completion date of 1 September 2026. No notice extending it has been published and the notice has dropped off the portal’s live list, but there is no public record confirming the junction has reopened, so treat it as expected rather than confirmed.

The Rudyard Road closure in Woodingdean, for a UK Power Networks substation upgrade, was anticipated to finish on 4 September 2026 and no longer appears among the live notices.

Parking orders you can still object to

The council’s list of traffic regulation orders was checked again on 1 October 2026. Four consultations are open.

Seafront parking: Dukes Mound and Madeira Drive (TRO-18-2026), objections close tomorrow, Friday 2 October 2026. The proposal would:

  • remove the existing single yellow lines in Dukes Mound and replace them with either double yellow lines or paid parking bays operating 9am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday
  • convert a section of paid coach parking on Madeira Drive to paid parking bays on the same 9am to 8pm, seven-day basis
  • amend the single yellow line restriction on Madeira Drive to the same hours
  • change the tariff on Madeira Drive east of Arch 87, and in New Steine, from a seasonal tariff to an all-year tariff

The council’s statement of reasons says the aim is to manage road space, keep traffic flowing and provide passing places, and on Madeira Drive to give visitors to nearby businesses and attractions convenient parking (TRO-18-2026 notice). Objections go to TROComment@brighton-hove.gov.uk quoting the reference.

The others are:

  • New Church Road, Hove (TRO-19-2026), closes Friday 9 October 2026. To relocate a bus stop, shared permit and paid parking would be removed between Pembroke Avenue and Pembroke Gardens. The bus stop east of Westbourne Gardens would be removed and the double yellow lines reinstated (council notice, 18 September 2026).
  • Citywide parking changes (TRO-20a-2026 and TRO-20b-2026), close Friday 16 October 2026. Two orders dated 25 September change bays and yellow lines on dozens of streets, inside and outside the controlled parking zones. New double yellow lines are proposed on eleven roads outside the zones, including Hollingbury Rise, Hangleton Valley Drive and Stanmer Villas (TRO-20-2026 notice).
  • Stroudley Road, Brighton (TRO-17-2025 and TRO-17a-2025), closes Monday 30 November 2026. An experimental order making Stroudley Road one way northbound from the roundabout, adding public service vehicle stands and accessible parking, and amending the parking restrictions.

TRO-10-2026 is now in force. Sealed on 2 September and effective from 7 September, it reduces parking bays and paints double yellow lines beside communal refuse and recycling bins in controlled parking zone R, at Westbourne Gardens, and at Portland Road and Rutland Gardens, so the bin lorries can reach them (council notice, 4 September 2026). The parking in Brighton page explains the zones and tariffs.

A259 seafront cycle lane: have your say until 25 October

The council opened a six-week consultation on 14 September on the next phases of the A259 Active Travel Scheme, covering the seafront between Fourth Avenue in Hove and West Street in Brighton. The proposal replaces the existing separate cycle lanes with one two-way cycle lane separated from both traffic and pedestrians, plus new pavements, safer crossings and junctions, new loading and disabled bays, and extra parking around Hove Lawns, the Bandstand, Shelter Hall, the i360 and the Brighton Centre. Design work is funded by £780,000 from Active Travel England, within almost £4 million of Department for Transport funding over four years. Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, said “the current layout of the cycle lanes is confusing and we can do much better” (council, 14 September 2026). Responses go through the council’s Your Voice platform, where the current phase runs to 25 October 2026.

Aldrington and Nevill: a parking zone is being scoped

The council held an early drop-in on 29 September for residents and businesses in Aldrington, Orchards, Nevill and Goldstone Valley, before any scheme exists. Any controlled parking scheme that follows would go through its own formal consultation (council, 7 September 2026).

The A27 and A23: this week’s overnight closures

National Highways’ current closure report covers Wednesday 30 September to Tuesday 6 October 2026. These are the closures still to come on the roads around Brighton:

Night Road What closes Hours
Thursday 1 to Saturday 3 October, then Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October A23 northbound Dale Hill exit slip 8pm to 6am
Thursday 1 and Friday 2 October A27 eastbound Full carriageway, A270 Lewes Road to Ashcombe roundabout 9pm to 6am
Friday 2 October A27 westbound Carden entry slip and Carden exit slip 8pm to 5am
Monday 5 October A27 eastbound Full carriageway, Ashcombe to Southerham 9pm to 6am

The Dale Hill closures are part of a carriageway renewal scheme. National Highways lists it as covering the A23 northbound from Patcham to Pyecombe and the A27 in both directions from Adur to Patcham, so expect more nights on this stretch through the autumn. The Lewes Road to Ashcombe and Ashcombe to Southerham closures are survey works on a scheme running from Carden Avenue to Beddingham roundabout. The Carden slips are shut for maintenance at Coldean Lane.

Wednesday night’s Falmer westbound slip closures sent buses round the station. Brighton & Hove Buses said routes 23, 25, N25 and 3X could not serve Falmer station towards Brighton, and routes 28, 29 and 29A diverted via the A27 and Coldean Lane (Brighton & Hove Buses service updates). Expect the same if the slips close again.

All of the above come from the National Highways 7-day closure report, the spreadsheet linked from that page, downloaded on 1 October 2026. It is republished regularly and the old file keeps serving stale data, so go to the page rather than a saved link.

The 50mph limit at Coldean was for the festival

National Highways made an order imposing a 24-hour 50mph speed restriction on the A27 between Coldean and Falmer from 24 September 2026. It says the limit is “in the interests of road safety during the Stanmer Park Beyond Boundaries Festival and before and after as necessary”. The order expires when the festival is over (notice of the made order NH/SE/2026/A27/66). The council’s own festival order covered Saturday 26 September only (council notice, Boundary Festival). National Highways has not published a date for removing the signs, so we cannot confirm whether the limit is still posted.

The other long-running National Highways order on this stretch is at the eastern end. A temporary order in force since 11 April 2026 allows overnight closures of the A27 eastbound between Falmer Interchange and Ashcombe Roundabout, with a 24-hour 50mph limit, while contractors build a Greggs drive-thru at the Esso service station (notice NH/SE/2026/A27/26).

Match days at the Amex

The Albion men have no home game until mid October. The club’s fixtures page lists the next two at the American Express Stadium as Kauno Zalgiris at 8pm on Thursday 15 October and Crystal Palace at 2pm on Sunday 18 October. On match days two roads close under standing orders rather than one-off notices. Mill Road is closed to through traffic for up to eight hours and made one way south-westwards, over 1,480 metres from a point 20 metres south-west of the south-western kerbline of Waterhall Road, with access to Mill House and Patcham Mill via that one-way system. Woollards Way is closed to through traffic and made one way south-westwards at the Lewes Road slip road and underpass. An alternative route is signposted (council notice, 19 August 2026).

Trains: late-night buses in October, and a full weekend closure

The railway between Haywards Heath and Lewes reopened on 1 September, three weeks after the derailment of a London Victoria to Eastbourne service near Lewes on 13 August. We have covered the first findings: what the RAIB found.

The next fortnight brings late-night changes, then a full weekend closure:

  • Monday 5 to Thursday 8 October: from about 10pm until the end of service, buses replace trains between Haywards Heath and Lewes, Polegate and Eastbourne (National Rail).
  • Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October: no trains between Brighton, Hove or Lewes and Three Bridges. Southern runs replacement buses and a diverted Brighton to London Victoria train via Hove, Worthing, Littlehampton and Horsham. It says anyone travelling between Brighton and London is “strongly advised” to use that train rather than the limited replacement buses (Southern).
  • Monday 12 to Thursday 15 October: the 23:25 London Victoria to Brighton train is diverted via Lewes and does not call at Burgess Hill or Hassocks. A replacement bus serves those stations. The 00:02 London Victoria to Worthing train terminates at Three Bridges, with a bus on to Brighton (National Rail).
  • Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 October: buses replace trains between Three Bridges and Brighton in the early hours, from about 00:25 to 05:05, and from 01:25 on the Friday (National Rail).

Further ahead, Southern lists two more Brighton Main Line closures:

  • Sunday 10 January 2027: no trains between Gatwick Airport and Purley or East Croydon.
  • Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 February 2027: a nine-day closure between Three Bridges and Brighton, Hove and Lewes via Haywards Heath, timed for the half-term holidays.

The trains to London page covers the normal timetable and fares.

Valley Gardens Phase 3: the seafront junction rebuild

The council’s £12.84 million Valley Gardens Phase 3 scheme is rebuilding the stretch from St Peter’s Church down to the sea. It replaces the Palace Pier roundabout with a signal-controlled junction, and adds an off-road cycle lane linking the earlier phases to the seafront, wider pavements, new bus stops and a taxi rank. The council’s page says resurfacing is complete and the remaining work is re-landscaping the gardens and finishing the pavements and the cycle lane on the western side of the Old Steine, with the contractor telling affected properties before each section starts. No completion date is given (council scheme page). Funding is £6 million from the Local Growth Fund, £1.84 million of council match funding and up to £5 million of borrowing.

What has finished

The A23 Active Travel scheme, the segregated cycle lanes and new crossings on London Road and Preston Road between Argyle Road and Preston Drove, was completed in July 2025, funded by £909,000 from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund (council scheme page). The corridor now forms part of National Cycle Network Route 20.

The resurfacing and drainage programme between Patcham Interchange and Lewes Road, which brought overnight closures and a daytime 50mph limit in 2025, is not on the current closure report and should not be planned around.

The key routes, and how to check live

Brighton’s road network reduces to three lines. The A23 London Road feeds everything from the north and is the route the park-and-walk driver cares about. The A27 bypass carries through traffic across the top of the city between Hove, Patcham, Coldean and Falmer, and when it closes, its traffic lands on city streets. The A259 seafront road links Hove, the piers and the Marina, slows to a crawl on any sunny weekend, and closes outright for events.

For what is dug up on the day:

If you are driving in regardless, park once and walk: the parking in Brighton page sets out the car parks, the controlled zones and the seafront meter rates, and the bin collection days page tells you which morning the kerbside will be full of bins on your street.

Frequently asked questions

Which buses are diverted away from Western Road?

Sixteen routes: 1, 1X, 2, 5, 5A, 5B, 6, 21, 25, 46, 49, 60, 71, 71A, N1 and N5. The stops at Norfolk Square, Brunswick Place and Montpelier Road (Waitrose) are not served. The diversion runs from 28 September to 6 November 2026 (Brighton & Hove Buses).

When does Western Road reopen?

Work started on Monday 28 September between Holland Road and Montpelier Road. The council’s temporary traffic order gives an anticipated completion date of 6 November 2026, and the bus diversion runs to the same date (temporary traffic order).

What is closed in Hove this week?

Tongdean Avenue is closed at number 61 until about 17 October for a sewer connection. The Western Esplanade cycle lane is closed from the King Alfred Leisure Centre to Hove Street until about 14 October. Nevill Avenue closes westbound from number 202 to Hangleton Road on 5 October (Tongdean Avenue, Western Esplanade, Nevill Avenue).

Is the A27 closed at Brighton this week?

Only overnight. The westbound Falmer entry and exit slips close 8pm to 6am on Wednesday 30 September. The eastbound carriageway from Lewes Road to Ashcombe roundabout closes 9pm to 6am on Thursday 1 October (National Highways).

Is seafront parking changing on Madeira Drive?

It is proposed. TRO-18-2026 would convert a section of paid coach parking to paid parking bays operating 9am to 8pm seven days a week, apply the same hours to the single yellow line, and switch the tariff east of Arch 87 and in New Steine from seasonal to all-year. Objections close on 2 October 2026 (council notice).

Are trains to Eastbourne running normally again?

Yes in the daytime. The Haywards Heath to Lewes line reopened on 1 September. From Monday 5 to Thursday 8 October, buses replace trains on that stretch from about 10pm (Southern).

Is the Palace Pier roundabout being removed?

Yes. Valley Gardens Phase 3 replaces the roundabout with a signal-controlled junction with pedestrian and cycle crossings. Resurfacing is done and the remaining landscaping and cycle-lane work continues around the Old Steine (council scheme page).

Does Brighton have a park and ride?

No permanent park and ride operates in the city. The practical alternatives are the station car parks along the main line and coastway and the city centre car parks, which are cheapest booked or off-peak.

Sources

Roadworks change week to week. The evergreen sections above outlast any one scheme; check the live maps on the day you travel. Checked against the sources above on 1 October 2026.