Three months of road works at busy Brighton junction

Work to improve safety and traffic near the Level will start next week for three months.
The Elm Grove junction with Lewes RoadThe Elm Grove junction with Lewes Road
The Elm Grove junction with Lewes Road

Brighton and Hove City Council is set to make changes to the congested double junction on Lewes Road where it meets Elm Grove and Union Road.

Work will begin on Monday, August 28, with delays expected while work takes place.

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Cllr Gill Mitchell, chairman of the council’s environment committee, said: “This double junction is an historic muddle with everyone getting in each other’s way. Changes to lights and lane space should smooth the route for buses and cars.

"We’ll make some changes to help cyclists and pedestrians go more directly where they actually want to go – particularly cyclists going from Elm Grove and Lewes Road onto the Level. But there will delays during the works for which we apologise and ask people to bear with us.”

Changes will see the central island at Lewes Road outside Park Crescent doctors surgery removed, along with its railings. Extra space will be created to extend lanes for turning right into both Elm Grove and Union Road. The council said this will reduce the tendency for queuing traffic to obstruct other lanes..

Traffic signals are set to be upgraded to better co-ordinate with others from Lewes Road to Edward Street.

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Kerbs will be realigned, helping provide more space for pedestrians and cyclists, with wider cycle lanes and shared spaces to help southbound cyclists towards cycle lanes on the Level. Road resurfacing and new line markings will provide a smoother ride and improved safety, the council said.

New pedestrian and cycle crossings over Lewes Road will be installed and there will be wider waiting islands for pedestrians crossing Union Road and Elm Grove.

Measures to further protect cyclists at the left turn into Elm Grove from Lewes Road include red surfacing to make cycle lanes clearer and a wide-angle mirror will help drivers see bikes on their nearside. Railings on the corner will be removed to give cyclists with more room in an emergency. Junctions will also have head-start green lights for cyclists.

Bus stops are set to be extended and turning areas improved to help bendy buses.

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