ONE broken down vehicle in a new road scheme could create a disaster for city traffic, councillors have warned.

The narrowing of northbound and southbound car traffic to one lane in parts of the £18 million Valley Gardens project could lead to major snarl-ups, the city council’s transport committee members warned last night.

Opposition councillors also stated that the scheme had not changed much despite an 18 month delay for an independent review which will mean the first phase will not be completed until the end of 2019.

Green councillors said the scheme was at risk of losing its original purpose to create a green space in the city.

Having voted to agree to the work of the independent review, council officers will now work on technical plans with the aim of construction beginning in February 2018.

Councillors from all sides welcomed the progress of the scheme which is hoped will improve air quality, flood risk management, pedestrian and cyclist safety and create a more inviting welcome to city visitors.

But concerns are still being raised about the impact on traffic of the scheme despite months of modelling and tinkering.

Conservative Joe Miller said: “If a car was to breakdown in that situation, you will have a road one lane into the city and one lane, it would be a disaster.”

The Rottigdean Coastal councillor also sought assurances over the quality of the material to be used to avoid a repeat of the £1 million Seven Dials junction which has required substantial repairs since its completion in 2013.

Fellow Tory Tony Janio said he had some concerns about traffic north of St Peter’s Church and how private traffic would get across bus lanes on the west side of the scheme.

He added there needed to be “a gold team” on standby during the two year construction phase to respond immediately to any developing traffic “snarl ups”.

While council officers will spend the next year drawing up detailed transport plans for the city centre site, plans for the park at the heart of the scheme will be progressed at a later date.

Green councillor Louisa Greenbaum raised concerns that the initial vision to improve the green space was in danger of being lost amid the traffic management.

She said: “What we got LEP funding was for a green scheme and a welcome to the city and I think we are losing sight of that.”

Labour’s committee chairwoman Gill Mitchell said she shared Green concerns about wanting to improve the green space but said that would only be possible by improving the roads around it.

She said: “It is a main arterial road into the city and its very, very important we get that highway absolutely right, to ease the flow of traffic will make the gardens a much more pleasant place.”