North Street Works Begin
From today (18 September) Southern Water embarks on eight weeks of major resurfacing works on one of the city’s busiest bus routes.
The closure of North Street could potentially cause large-scale disruption to bus customers.
The water company is hoping to repair the damage caused by the replacement of Victorian water mains in 2007 – which has left North Street unable to cope with the heavy volume of traffic. In 2015 Brighton and Hove Buses refused to send its vehicles down the road because of the damage to the surface.
Around 100 buses an hour currently use North Street. The improvement works will leave buses unable to serve the route for eight weeks.
The work includes resurfacing the road from the Clock Tower to just before the East Street roundabout. Although Southern Water has promised to attempt to minimise disruption, buses will be diverted as a result of the work.
Brighton and Hove Buses said it was putting diversions in place, designed to reduce disruption to customers’ journeys.
Buses travelling eastbound will go around North Street via West Street and the coast road. They will either continue along the coast road or pick up its normal route via the Old Steine. Buses travelling Westbound will do the same in reverse.
The North Street work coincides with city council work that has already started at the junction of Lewes Road, Elm Grove and Union Road. The work on this area, designed to improve safety at the junction, is also likely to last a few months.
Brighton and Hove Buses managing director Martin Harris has welcomed the “important improvements to the smooth-running of traffic in the city” but admits that the coinciding of the two works is extremely unfortunate for bus users.
The work is taking place for seven days a week, from 8am – 6pm. Southern Water says it hopes to get the work completed as quickly as possible, but are mindful of businesses and residents in the area.
For more information about the works, visit: www.southernwater.co.uk/northstreet
For information about the bus services, contact Brighton and Hove Buses Customer Services Unit: info@buses.co.uk or call 01273 886200
By Clare Calder
