Western Road roadworks to divert 14 Brighton & Hove bus routes for six weeks

Last updated: 22 September 2026 at 11:35pm BST

Western Road bus diversions will affect some of Brighton and Hove’s busiest services for almost six weeks, with 14 routes moved away from the shopping corridor between Waitrose and Palmeira Square.

Brighton & Hove Buses’ official service update says the changes will run from 28 September to 6 November 2026. The operator has not published daily operating hours for the diversion, so passengers should plan on the revised route applying throughout the advertised period unless a later update says otherwise.

What is changing on Western Road?

The affected services are 1, 1X, 2, 5, 5A, 5B, 6, 21, 25, 46, 49, N1, N5 and N25. That list includes daytime, university and night services, so the impact will be felt well beyond the morning and evening commuter peaks.

Brighton & Hove Buses says it will be unable to serve all stops on Western Road between Waitrose and Palmeira Square. The named suspended stops are:

• Norfolk Square, westbound and eastbound
• Brunswick Place, westbound and eastbound
• Montpelier Road, north-eastbound, by Waitrose

All stops on the diversion roads will be served, according to the operator. That means some passengers may be able to use a nearby temporary alternative without travelling all the way to Waitrose or Palmeira Square, but the best stop will depend on the direction and route.

Western Road bus diversion routes explained

Towards Hove: most affected buses will turn via Montpelier Road, Davigdor Road and Holland Road, returning to their normal route from Palmeira Square.

Routes 1X, 2 and 46 will take a slightly different Hove-bound path via Montpelier Road, Montpelier Place and Holland Road before rejoining at Palmeira Square.

Towards Brighton: affected buses will divert via Holland Road, Lansdowne Road and Montpelier Road, resuming their normal route from the Waitrose end of Western Road.

The operator advises passengers to allow extra journey time. No precise delay estimate has been issued, and actual journey times are likely to vary with traffic on the diversion roads.

Why this matters locally

Western Road is not a minor side street: it is one of the main east–west public transport corridors linking central Brighton with Brunswick, Hove and Portslade. Closing several closely spaced stops at once creates a particular challenge for passengers with reduced mobility, parents with pushchairs and anyone carrying shopping.

The length of the planned works also matters. A one-night diversion can be handled as a temporary inconvenience; a change lasting until early November requires regular passengers to learn a different boarding point and build more time into repeated journeys.

The disruption will overlap with other works affecting the city’s bus network. Brighton Locals has already reported on the Richmond Terrace diversion affecting routes 25, 94 and N25. Passengers whose journeys cross both corridors should check the full route rather than assuming only one section has changed.

Brighton Locals’ view

This is a significant, unavoidable-looking piece of disruption, but the public information still has gaps. The bus operator has clearly listed the dates, routes, suspended stops and diversion roads; that is useful. What is not yet explained on the service notice is the nature of the roadworks, whether the programme may be completed in phases, or whether any normal stops could reopen before 6 November.

For a diversion affecting 14 routes over almost six weeks, passengers deserve updates that are easy to find at stops as well as online. Clear temporary signage at Norfolk Square, Brunswick Place and Waitrose will be especially important. That assessment is Brighton Locals’ editorial judgement; the confirmed arrangements are those published by Brighton & Hove Buses.

What passengers should do

1. Check the Brighton & Hove Buses service updates page on the day of travel, particularly at the start and end of the works.
2. If you normally board at Norfolk Square or Brunswick Place, look for the closest stop on the relevant diversion road or use the main stops near Waitrose or Palmeira Square.
3. Allow extra time for connections at Brighton station, Churchill Square and onward services, because no fixed delay estimate has been provided.
4. For step-free or mobility-sensitive journeys, use the operator’s accessibility information and contact customer services before travelling if the extra distance to a stop is a problem.

What to watch next

The key questions are whether the works begin as planned on 28 September, whether the diversion remains unchanged for the full period, and whether the 6 November end date holds. A revised service notice, reopening of individual stops or a clearer phasing timetable would materially change the advice above. Brighton Locals will update this page if the operator publishes a significant change.

Bottom line

From 28 September, do not head automatically to your usual Western Road stop. Fourteen routes are being diverted and three busy stop areas will be missed; check the direction-specific route before you leave and give yourself more time.

Featured image: Western Road, Hove, photographed by Paul Gillett via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image depicts the affected local road but predates the 2026 works.

Author: Brighton Locals Newsroom