The eastbound side of the A259 seafront road is unlikely to open for another fortnight as the demolition of a section of the fire-ravaged Royal Albion Hotel continues.
The westbound side of the road has reopened as demolition work moves further inland, Brighton and Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey said.
The council started demolishing part of the historic seafront hotel after fire ripped through the western wing of the building on Saturday 15 July.
A contractor started the work after the council took control of the site to carry out safety and demolition work costing at least £500,000 after the blaze.
Councillors welcomed the emergency steps taken by the council’s executive director for the economy, environment and culture, Donna Chisholm.
They were told that money spent on demolition and making the site safe was expected to be claimed back from Britannia Hotels, owner of the Royal Albion.
Members of the council’s Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration Committee were told at a special meeting on Friday (4 August) that the council was liaising with Britannia Hotels daily.
Labour councillor Trevor Muten, who chairs the council’s Transport and Sustainability Committee, said: “I welcome the reopening of the A259 westbound yesterday evening (Thursday 3 August).
“If we hand over the building to the owners by the end of August, when do we see the westbound A259 getting back to where it’s fully opened?
“Will there be future disruption once the property has been returned to its owner?”
Councillor Muten also asked how the demolition work was affecting national bus and coach services operating out of Pool Valley which remained closed because of demolition works.
Mrs Chisholm said that hoardings were being put up in the coming week on the south side of the building to secure the site and all heavy equipment will be moved out of the eastbound carriageway.
She said: “Over the past three weeks, we’ve had some very heavy equipment – to undertake the demolition – on the eastbound carriageway. What we have to do is assess the damage to the carriageway.
“The heavy equipment is in excess of 70 tonnes on that carriageway so we have to ensure it’s fit to reopen. That may well take at least another two weeks.”
She said that highways engineers were assessing the road and, when the site work was completed, then Pool Valley could reopen.
Labour councillor David McGregor called for better communication with the public about when the road would be fully open again.
He said: “A lot of people are complaining about what’s happening and the timeline. We need a comms strategy to give more context about what’s happening.”
Mrs Chisholm said that debris was falling from the building which had partly collapsed so the council did not have a clear timeline for when it would be stable.
She said that the council had tried to release information to help people understand the complex situation, both above and below ground, because the hotel had an extensive basement under the street.
Councillor Alan Robins said that the seafront road diversions were poorly signposted. He had tried to get to Madeira Drive from the west and was at the road closure before he realised that he could go no further so did a u-turn.
He said: “Westbound traffic will now be travelling along the seafront and that manoeuvre of a u-turn would not be quite so easy because you’ll be turning into oncoming traffic.
“Can we have a look and make sure the signs take people off the seafront at an earlier junction so they don’t keep carrying on thinking any minute now I’ll be told which way to go.”
Mrs Chisholm said that she would ask highways officers to look at the diversion signs.
This is obviously a unique situation, and the council have acted promptly and fairly with the road closures.
It’s good that the westbound carriageway is now open again but crossing from west to east is still a nightmare, because motorists have no choice but to circle around the station one way system and then to negotiate the North Road traffic jam. The other log jam route would be under the viaduct and up to Seven Dials.
I’m a bit surprised they didn’t open North Street to east bound traffic, as that would seem the obvious temporary solution while the A259 remains closed.
I’m hoping that lessons are learned from this road closure – which shows what a disaster it would be for the city traffic flow if the Palace Pier roundabout is removed in favour of cycle lanes and traffic lights.
Cyclists and pedestrians (including me) have lots of options when travelling to the seafront or across the city, whereas commuters, visitors and van drivers (like me) have only one viable route left across the city, and that’s the A259.
We can only wonder what business turnover has been lost to the city as a result of these recent roads closures, along with the train cancellations and bus route diversions. How many millions has this cost?
The traffic situation is just getting worse. What would normally take 30 minutes is taking an hour and a half. The congestion from the Brighton centre onwards is awful. You now have cars from the outside lane trying to cut in.
You also have them going through the red light to get in to West Street. Come on Brighton Council. Sort this out!!! As the previous person has just said open up north Street for normal cars etc. You know it makes sense!!!
Why do you need the road closed when pool valley is big enough for the machinery!
Having driven on the A259 heading west this morning. I have no idea why this road is still closed. Most of the said equipment has been moved. Its a three lane road you could certainly open two of them?
I have just had to pay £175 in bus lane fines going up North Street ,no signs to say you will be fined, the on
reason we used this was there were no diversion signs to say were to go to get to the Hilton Metropole.
I think the whole thing was very poorly handled letting the public know what was happening.
You don’t have any idea to manage this issue a bunch of losers setting at the office in the council without any solutions and very slow response.. At least you have to amend the traffic lights priority in West Street and remove the stupid one with nationwide bank and working during the hour on seafront not only in the morning as normal shifts.