ROADWORKS on the seafront are expected to drag on until the end of September.

Brighton and Hove City Council announced yesterday they have completed their investigations into the Kings Road collapse on April 25 but they expect work along the road to continue until September 30.

The subsidence, which saw tons of rubble and earth pour into the Fortune of War pub after workmen removed wall panelling inside, was originally given an estimated repair time of eight weeks.

Last week council chiefs gave the estimation of work lasting until the end of July – but this has now been extended.

The council said the work on the hole should be completed by the end of August but then a second contraflow will be in place while work is carried out above the Life Bar, the club next to the pub.

This work is expected to last until the end of September.

The eastbound lane will reopen just as the westbound lane closes for four weeks.

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “A contraflow is in place for the short distance between Middle Street and West Street so that traffic can move in both directions.

“We are working with a very old infrastructure and based on current information we estimate it may be the end of September before the road and promenade can be fully reopened but we will do our best to reduce that.”

She added: “We’ve now completed a full investigation and the very complex nature of the repairs needed means that estimation for finishing the work is now the end of August for the works associated with the collapse and the end of September for the work associated with Life Bar which will need traffic management of the southbound carriageway.

“The road will remain open with a contraflow.”

“We have removed a section of central reservation to improve access into the old town area via Middle Street and amending traffic signal timings so these measures will improve traffic flows.”

The reason for the collapse has been referred to as “historic alterations to premises in the arches”.