Ditchling Road closes 6am to 7pm on Sunday for the London to Brighton cycle ride. Twelve Western Road side streets then go two-way from 28 September.

The big closure this weekend is at the top of the city. Ditchling Road is shut from the East Sussex boundary down to Coldean Lane from 6am to 7pm on Sunday, for the London to Brighton Cycle Ride, along with a string of turns off Grand Parade and the Old Steine. Two weeks later comes the one that will change how the city centre drives: from Monday 28 September, twelve side streets around Western Road are made two-way while the road is rebuilt, and the council now puts the finish date at 6 November. Below: what is shut now, what is coming, and the live maps to check on the day.

Diagram of Brighton's three key routes: the A27 bypass across the top of the city, the A23 London Road running south into the centre, and the A259 along the seafront, with Valley Gardens Phase 3 works where the A23 meets the sea at the Palace Pier junction

Sunday: the cycle ride closures, 6am to 7pm

The council has made an order under sections 16A to 16C of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the Skyline London to Brighton Cycle Ride on Sunday 13 September. The ride starts at Clapham Common and runs 55 miles to the coast, finishing on Madeira Drive (Sue Ryder, one of the participating charities).

Closed to non-participating traffic from 6am to 7pm:

  • Ditchling Road, from the boundary with East Sussex County Council down to Coldean Lane

Closed to non-participating traffic from 7am to 7pm:

  • Coldean Lane, from Ditchling Road to Forest Road
  • Coldean Lane, southbound carriageway only, from Forest Road to the northern kerb line of Park Road
  • Richmond Parade, at its junction with Grand Parade
  • Morley Street, from Grand Parade to Circus Street
  • Kingswood Street, at its junction with Grand Parade

The northbound carriageway of Coldean Lane between Forest Road and Park Road has its flow reversed to southbound only for the day, and the one-way order on Circus Street is suspended.

Left turns are banned from Hawkhurst Road (north exit) and Denman Place into Coldean Lane, from Richmond Place into Richmond Parade, from Grand Parade into Morley Street, Kingswood Street and Edward Street, from Pavilion Parade into Pavilion Street, from Old Steine into Steine Street, from Old Steine into Marine Parade at the Aquarium roundabout, and from Marine Parade into Madeira Drive. Right turns are banned from Ditchling Road into Coldean Lane, and from Grand Parade into Richmond Parade and Morley Street (council order, 5 September 2026).

What this means if you are not riding. Ditchling Road is the direct route in from the Beacon and it is gone for the whole day, so approach the city on the A23 or the A27 instead. Getting on to Madeira Drive from Marine Parade will not be possible, and the eastern side of the Old Steine will be difficult from mid-morning.

From 28 September: twelve streets go two-way for Western Road

This is the detail the council had not published when we last checked. A temporary order notified on 7 September suspends the existing one-way orders on twelve streets around Western Road, so that traffic can move in both directions while the road itself is dug up. The order comes into force on 28 September 2026 and is anticipated to be complete by 6 November 2026 (temporary traffic order, 7 September 2026).

The streets that become two-way are:

  • Lansdowne Street
  • Brunswick Street West
  • Farm Road
  • Brunswick Street East, between Lower Market Street and Western Road
  • Waterloo Street
  • Brunswick Road
  • Little Western Street, between Norfolk Place and Western Road
  • Norfolk Square, both sides of the green
  • Norfolk Square, from Bedford Place
  • Bedford Place
  • Borough Street
  • Norfolk Road

Pedestrian access is to be maintained and a signed diversion route will be in place for vehicles. The 6 November date is the first firm end date the council has attached to the scheme in a public document: its August announcement said only “about 45 days” of phased closures. We have covered the works in full: Western Road Brighton, phased closures from 28 September.

If you live on one of those twelve streets, the change is immediate and physical. A road you have driven one way for years takes oncoming traffic from 28 September. Junctions you have always pulled out of without looking both ways will need looking both ways.

New closures notified this week

Three orders were published on 9 September, all with seven days’ notice, so they take effect the following week.

Where What From Expected until
Applesham Way, Portslade, from Old Shoreham Road to Melrose Avenue Road closed, gas mains replacement 21 September 2026 26 October 2026
Old Farm Road, Brighton, from Graham Avenue to Braybon Avenue Road closed, gas mains replacement 21 September 2026 2 November 2026
Walpole Road, Brighton, eastern kerb line Loading bay and about 25 metres of permit or pay-by-phone bays suspended 16 September 2026 15 February 2028

Both gas mains closures keep pedestrian access open and have a signed vehicle diversion (Applesham Way, Old Farm Road). The Walpole Road suspension is for the redevelopment of the Convent Boarding House for Brighton College, and the anticipated date on it is nearly eighteen months away, so treat that parking as gone rather than briefly unavailable (council notice, 9 September 2026).

Still closed: the long-running orders

These are the council’s temporary orders under section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which is the formal record of what is shut. Each runs “for eighteen months or until such sooner time as the works are completed”, so the date to plan around is the anticipated finish, not the legal maximum.

  • Western Esplanade cycle lane, Hove. Closed from the western edge of the King Alfred Leisure Centre to the junction with Hove Street, about 200 metres, for a new electricity supply. The council made the order on 2 September and it came into force on 7 September, with completion anticipated by 14 October 2026. The adjacent footway is shared space for people walking and cycling for the duration. The road itself is open (temporary traffic order, made 2 September 2026).
  • Carden Crescent, Peacock Lane and Hallett Road (Patcham and Hanover). Carden Crescent is closed southbound at Carden Avenue. Peacock Lane is closed from Woodland Way to outside number 56, with its one-way order suspended so residents can get in and out. Hallett Road is closed from Pankhurst Road to Elm Grove. In force since 3 August 2026 for gas main replacement, anticipated to finish 16 November 2026 (temporary traffic order, made 29 July 2026).
  • Walpole Road (Kemptown), closure at Eastern Road. Closed for a new electricity connection, with pedestrian access kept open and a signed diversion. The order was made on 12 August 2026 and the works were anticipated to finish on 28 August 2026, a date that has now passed. The notice is still listed as live on the Public Notice Portal and no completion notice has been published, so we cannot say the road has reopened (temporary traffic order, 12 August 2026).

Old Shoreham Road at Hangleton Road: still unconfirmed. The gas mains order that closed Old Shoreham Road westbound, Boundary Road northbound and Hangleton Road southbound gave an anticipated completion date of 1 September 2026. No notice extending it has been published and the notice has dropped off the portal’s live list, but there is no public record confirming the junction has reopened, so treat it as expected rather than confirmed.

The Rudyard Road closure in Woodingdean, for a UK Power Networks substation upgrade, was anticipated to finish on 4 September 2026 and no longer appears among the live notices.

Parking orders you can still object to

The council’s list of traffic regulation orders was checked again on 10 September 2026. Three consultations are open.

Seafront parking: Dukes Mound and Madeira Drive (TRO-18-2026), objections close Friday 2 October 2026. This is the substantial one. The proposal would:

  • remove the existing single yellow lines in Dukes Mound and replace them with either double yellow lines or paid parking bays operating 9am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday
  • convert a section of paid coach parking on Madeira Drive to paid parking bays on the same 9am to 8pm, seven-day basis
  • amend the single yellow line restriction on Madeira Drive to the same hours
  • change the tariff on Madeira Drive east of Arch 87, and in New Steine, from a seasonal tariff to an all-year tariff

The council’s statement of reasons says the aim is to manage road space, keep traffic flowing and provide passing places, and on Madeira Drive to give visitors to nearby businesses and attractions convenient parking (TRO-18-2026 notice). Objections go to TROComment@brighton-hove.gov.uk quoting the reference.

The other two are unchanged:

  • Eaton Villas, Hove (TRO-07-2026), closes Monday 28 September 2026. An experimental order extending the one-way eastbound on Eaton Villas between Goldstone Villas and Denmark Villas.
  • Stroudley Road, Brighton (TRO-17-2025 and TRO-17a-2025), closes Monday 30 November 2026. An experimental order making Stroudley Road one way northbound from the roundabout, adding public service vehicle stands and accessible parking, and amending the parking restrictions.

TRO-10-2026 is now in force. Sealed on 2 September and effective from 7 September, it reduces parking bays and paints double yellow lines beside communal refuse and recycling bins in controlled parking zone R, at Westbourne Gardens, and at Portland Road and Rutland Gardens, so the bin lorries can reach them (council notice, 4 September 2026). The parking in Brighton page explains the zones and tariffs.

Aldrington and Nevill: a parking zone is being scoped

The council is holding a drop-in session on Tuesday 29 September, 4pm to 8pm, at Bishop Hannington Church Lounge on Nevill Avenue, for residents and businesses in Aldrington, Orchards, Nevill and Goldstone Valley. Officers will have street maps and want to hear where the parking problems are. This is early-stage work, before any scheme exists: any controlled parking scheme that follows would go through its own formal consultation. Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, said the session is “an opportunity for local residents and businesses to engage with us at an early stage and help shape the development of proposals for the area” (council, 7 September 2026).

The A27 and A23: this week’s overnight closures

National Highways’ current closure report covers Wednesday 9 September to Tuesday 15 September 2026. Everything on the Brighton stretch is overnight, and the work has moved east towards Falmer.

  • A27 westbound, Patcham exit slip: closed 8pm Thursday 10 September to 6am Friday, for barrier works.
  • A27 eastbound, Ashcombe to Southerham: carriageway closed 9pm Thursday 10 September to 6am Friday, for survey work between Falmer and Beddingham roundabout, on the Lewes side of the bypass.
  • A27 westbound, Adur and Holmbush entry slips: both closed 8pm Thursday 10 September to 5am Friday, for maintenance between Hangleton and North Lancing.
  • A27 eastbound, Coldean Lane entry slip, Falmer exit slip and Lewes Road entry slip: all three closed 8pm Friday 11 September to 5am Saturday, for maintenance on the Patcham to Ashcombe stretch.
  • A27 eastbound, Lewes Road (A270) to Ashcombe roundabout: full carriageway closure 8pm to 6am on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 September, for survey works. This is the closure to plan around if you drive towards Lewes late.
  • A27 westbound, Hangleton entry and exit slips: entry slip closed 8pm to 5am on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 September; exit slip closed 8pm Monday 14 to 5am Tuesday.
  • A23 southbound, Mill Lane exit slip: closed 8pm to 6am on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 September, for electrical work between Hickstead and Sayers Common, about ten miles north of the city on the London route.
  • A23 southbound, Haywards Heath to Hickstead entry and exit slips: closed 8pm Tuesday 15 September to 6am Wednesday, for maintenance. The A23 northbound Warninglid entry slip closes the same night, 8pm to 5am.

All of the above come from the National Highways 7-day closure report, the spreadsheet linked from that page, downloaded on 10 September 2026. It is republished every day and the old file keeps serving stale data, so go to the page rather than a saved link.

From 24 September: a 50mph limit at Coldean for the Stanmer Park festival

National Highways has given notice of an order imposing a 24-hour 50mph speed restriction on the A27 between Coldean and Falmer, coming into force on 24 September 2026. It covers:

  • the eastbound carriageway from about 790 metres east of the Ditchling Road overbridge to about 20 metres west of the B2123 overbridge
  • the westbound carriageway between about 60 metres and 2,370 metres west of the B2123 overbridge, including the lanes merging from the B2123 junction
  • the road leading to the A27 eastbound at Coldean interchange (A270), from about 260 metres east of the crossroads with Stony Mere Way to where it merges with the main carriageway

National Highways says the limit is “in the interests of road safety during the Stanmer Park Beyond Boundaries Festival and before and after as necessary”. The order can last up to eighteen months but expires when the festival is over (notice NH/SE/2026/A27/66).

The other long-running National Highways order on this stretch is at the eastern end: a temporary order in force since 11 April 2026 allowing overnight closures of the A27 eastbound between Falmer Interchange and Ashcombe Roundabout, with a 24-hour 50mph limit, while contractors build a Greggs drive-thru at the Esso service station (notice NH/SE/2026/A27/26).

Match days at the Amex

The next home game at the American Express Community Stadium is Arsenal, Saturday 19 September, 3pm (Brighton & Hove Albion fixtures). On match days two roads close under standing orders rather than one-off notices. Mill Road is closed to through traffic for up to eight hours and made one way south-westwards, over 1,480 metres from a point 20 metres south-west of the south-western kerbline of Waterhall Road, with access to Mill House and Patcham Mill via that one-way system. Woollards Way is closed to through traffic and made one way south-westwards at the Lewes Road slip road and underpass. An alternative route is signposted (council notice, 19 August 2026).

Trains: normal service, with three closures ahead

The railway between Haywards Heath and Lewes reopened on 1 September, three weeks after the derailment of a London Victoria to Eastbourne service near Lewes on 13 August. Southern’s own service updates page now states that recovery and repair work at the derailment site is complete and the line has reopened. Direct London to Eastbourne and Hastings services are running again (Southern). The Rail Accident Investigation Branch published its first findings on 19 August, and we have covered what they say: what the RAIB found.

Three planned closures are ahead on the Brighton Main Line:

  • Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026: no trains between Brighton, Hove or Lewes and Three Bridges. Replacement buses run between Three Bridges and Preston Park, Three Bridges and Lewes via Haywards Heath and Cooksbridge, Balcombe and Brighton, and Haywards Heath, Plumpton and Lewes. A diverted Brighton to London Victoria train runs via Hove, Shoreham-by-Sea, Worthing, Angmering, Littlehampton, Horsham, Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport, East Croydon and Clapham Junction. Southern says anyone travelling between Brighton and London is “strongly advised” to use that train rather than the limited replacement buses.
  • Sunday 10 January 2027: no trains between Gatwick Airport and Purley or East Croydon. Details are not published yet.
  • Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 February 2027: a nine-day closure between Three Bridges and Brighton, Hove and Lewes via Haywards Heath, timed for the half-term holidays.

The trains to London page covers the normal timetable and fares.

Valley Gardens Phase 3: the seafront junction rebuild

The council’s £12.84 million Valley Gardens Phase 3 scheme is rebuilding the stretch from St Peter’s Church down to the sea. It replaces the Palace Pier roundabout with a signal-controlled junction, and adds an off-road cycle lane linking the earlier phases to the seafront, wider pavements, new bus stops and a taxi rank. The council’s page says resurfacing is complete and the remaining work is re-landscaping the gardens and finishing the pavements and the cycle lane on the western side of the Old Steine, with the contractor telling affected properties before each section starts. No completion date is given (council scheme page). Funding is £6 million from the Local Growth Fund, £1.84 million of council match funding and up to £5 million of borrowing.

What has finished

The A23 Active Travel scheme, the segregated cycle lanes and new crossings on London Road and Preston Road between Argyle Road and Preston Drove, was completed in July 2025, funded by £909,000 from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund (council scheme page). The corridor now forms part of National Cycle Network Route 20.

The resurfacing and drainage programme between Patcham Interchange and Lewes Road, which brought overnight closures and a daytime 50mph limit in 2025, is not on the current closure report and should not be planned around.

The key routes, and how to check live

Brighton’s road network reduces to three lines. The A23 London Road feeds everything from the north and is the route the park-and-walk driver cares about. The A27 bypass carries through traffic across the top of the city between Hove, Patcham, Coldean and Falmer, and when it closes, its traffic lands on city streets. The A259 seafront road links Hove, the piers and the Marina, slows to a crawl on any sunny weekend, and closes outright for events.

For what is dug up on the day:

If you are driving in regardless, park once and walk: the parking in Brighton page sets out the car parks, the controlled zones and the seafront meter rates, and the bin collection days page tells you which morning the kerbside will be full of bins on your street.

Frequently asked questions

Which roads close for the London to Brighton Cycle Ride?

Ditchling Road is closed from the East Sussex boundary to Coldean Lane from 6am to 7pm on Sunday 13 September. Coldean Lane, Richmond Parade, Morley Street and Kingswood Street close from 7am to 7pm, with a long list of banned turns off Grand Parade, the Old Steine and Marine Parade. The ride finishes on Madeira Drive (council order, 5 September 2026).

When does Western Road close, and when does it reopen?

Work starts on Monday 28 September between Holland Road and Montpelier Road. The council’s temporary traffic order, published on 7 September, gives an anticipated completion date of 6 November 2026. Twelve nearby side streets become two-way for the duration (temporary traffic order).

What is closed in Hove this week?

The cycle lane on Western Esplanade, from the western edge of the King Alfred Leisure Centre to Hove Street, about 200 metres. It closed on 7 September for a new electricity supply and is anticipated to reopen by 14 October 2026. The footway alongside is shared space for walking and cycling. The road itself stays open (council order, made 2 September 2026).

Is the A27 closed at Brighton this week?

Only overnight. The westbound Patcham exit slip closes on Thursday night for barrier work, three eastbound slips at Coldean Lane, Falmer and Lewes Road close on Friday night, and the eastbound carriageway from Lewes Road to Ashcombe roundabout closes fully on Monday and Tuesday nights for survey works (National Highways).

Is seafront parking changing on Madeira Drive?

It is proposed. TRO-18-2026 would convert a section of paid coach parking to paid parking bays operating 9am to 8pm seven days a week, apply the same hours to the single yellow line, and switch the tariff east of Arch 87 and in New Steine from seasonal to all-year. Objections close on 2 October 2026 (council notice).

Are trains to Eastbourne running normally again?

Yes. The Haywards Heath to Lewes line reopened on 1 September and Southern says the recovery and repair work at the derailment site is complete (Southern).

Is the Palace Pier roundabout being removed?

Yes. Valley Gardens Phase 3 replaces the roundabout with a signal-controlled junction with pedestrian and cycle crossings. Resurfacing is done and the remaining landscaping and cycle-lane work continues around the Old Steine (council scheme page).

Does Brighton have a park and ride?

No permanent park and ride operates in the city. The practical alternatives are the station car parks along the main line and coastway and the city centre car parks, which are cheapest booked or off-peak.

Sources

Roadworks change week to week. The evergreen sections above outlast any one scheme; check the live maps on the day you travel. Checked against the sources above on 10 September 2026.