A259 Brighton: Resident slams 'ridiculous' diversion

The driver, who lives in Regency Square, Brighton, visits his wife regularly in Kemp Town.

He said the recent closure of Preston Street access to Western Road means it now takes him “ages” to even leave the square where he lives.

The man, who did not wish to be named, said he was not notified about the closure or diversions affecting his street.

The council's map showing current closures (Image: Brighton and Hove City Council)

“It’s just ridiculous. It took me 45 minutes get to Kemp Town to visit my wife,” he said.

“A journey that should take a few minutes is now taking the best part of an hour.”

He raised concerns about the pollution caused by the congestion from “gridlocked” traffic.

The “senseless” diversion sees motorists trying to drive up Preston Street sent around the east side of Regency Square to rejoin the A259.

Gridlocked traffic on the A259 eastbound (Image: The Argus)

With a weekend of sunny weather ahead, he raised concerns about confusion for visitors driving to the city.

• READ MORE: Cars make U-turns to avoid gridlocked A259

The closure of Preston Street came into place on Monday, August 14, when Western Road reopened to traffic eastbound after eight months of diversions.

This, along with the on-going closure of the A259 Grand Junction Avenue eastbound outside the Royal Albion Hotel, means motorists are facing heavier traffic at peak times.

Councillor Trevor Muten, who chairs the transport and sustainability committee, said:“We’re really sorry about the delays drivers in central Brighton are currently experiencing.

“We recognise the ongoing closure of the A259 eastbound outside the Royal Albion Hotel are making life very difficult for a lot of people.

“We would stress that this closure is for very real safety reasons.

“There has also been an emergency in Cannon Place so the road has had to be closed as a crane needed to be made safe.

“This emergency along with the ongoing closure has increased the congestion. But I am delighted to say that the crane has now been removed so the situation should improve.

“Access from Regency Square is restricted due to the Western Road scheme and the recent emergencies has affected residents. We are working hard to fully resolve these matters.

“But whatever signage we may use the sheer volume of vehicle traffic using central Brighton means there are inevitably going to be delays until both closures have been lifted.”