Last updated: 30 September 2026, 5:50pm BST
Image: Brighton & Hove City Council visualisation of the planned layout near Hove Beach Park and Hove Lagoon, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
In short
- Brighton & Hove City Council says construction on the A259 between Hove and Portslade will begin in the coming weeks, but it has not yet published an exact start date.
- The route runs from Fourth Avenue to the city’s western boundary, with the first works between Fourth Avenue and Hove Street.
- A works compound will be set up on the south side of the A259 opposite Westbourne Villas.
- The scheme includes a separated two-way cycle lane, new pavements and bus stops, safer crossings and junctions, plus loading and disabled parking bays.
- Residents and businesses can request email updates from the council; access to properties is expected to remain open during construction.
A259 Hove to Portslade roadworks are due to begin in the coming weeks, bringing a phased rebuild of the seafront corridor from Fourth Avenue to Brighton & Hove’s western boundary. The project will affect residents, traders, bus passengers, drivers and people walking or cycling through west Hove and Portslade.
The council confirmed the construction move on Wednesday 30 September. It has not yet named a precise start day or published a street-by-street traffic-management timetable. A local report says the wider project is expected to take about 18 months, so the missing phase dates matter for anyone planning regular journeys along the coast road.
What has happened
The council’s official construction announcement says the first section will run from Fourth Avenue to Hove Street. Before the main works move along the route, a contractor compound is to be established opposite Westbourne Villas.
The complete approved scheme continues west from Hove Street towards Wharf Road and the city boundary near Fishersgate. The council says it will be delivered in phases to reduce disruption and keep access open wherever possible. Contractors are expected to contact occupants and owners before working immediately outside individual premises.
The project has £4.3 million from Active Travel England and £2.7 million from the council’s Local Transport Plan over three years. It passed its final Traffic Regulation Order stage in May 2026, when councillors approved construction after retaining the Tandridge Road bus stop and removing associated parking changes between Roman Road and Saxon Road.
What the A259 Hove to Portslade roadworks will change
The main physical change is a separated two-way cycle track on the southern side of the A259. The plans also provide new or rebuilt pavements, bus stops, crossings and junction layouts, together with loading areas and disabled parking bays.
Between Fourth Avenue and Hove Street, one traffic lane is due to be converted into the cycle route while space outside shops is widened. Farther west, between Hove Street and Wharf Road, the plan uses the existing shared footway and cycle space and retains both traffic lanes.
The council says the route was shaped by more than 900 responses to its 2025 consultation. Changes included revised crossing points, more parking, extra separation between parked cars and the cycle lane and the decision to keep the Tandridge Road bus stop in its current position.
Why it matters locally
This is one of the city’s busiest east-west corridors and part of National Cycle Network Route 2. The works therefore have consequences well beyond cyclists. They will change crossing points, bus-stop access, loading arrangements and the way traffic moves between central Hove, Portslade and the boundary with West Sussex.
The timing is especially sensitive because the Western Road rebuild and bus diversions are scheduled to continue until 6 November. If the A259 work overlaps before that date, southern Hove could have two significant east-west routes under pressure at the same time.
The council’s commitment to maintain access is useful, but it does not remove the need for detailed notice. Traders need delivery windows, disabled residents need to know when bays or crossings move, and bus users need confirmed stop arrangements rather than broad assurances.
What residents need to know
- Do not assume the whole route closes at once. The project is phased, beginning between Fourth Avenue and Hove Street.
- Allow extra time for east-west journeys. The council has not yet published the first lane restrictions, so check the official project update page before travelling.
- Ask for direct updates. Email transport.projects@brighton-hove.gov.uk with “A259 Hove to Portslade” in the subject line to join the council’s newsletter list.
- Businesses and residents should record access needs early. If deliveries, mobility access or appointments depend on kerbside access, contact the project team before works reach your frontage.
- Do not confuse this build with the separate eastward proposal. The section from Fourth Avenue to West Street is still at consultation stage, with feedback open until 24 October 2026.
Brighton Locals’ view
Editorial judgement: the scheme’s aims are positive and the approved design is more considered than a cycle-lane-only project. It includes pavements, crossings, bus stops, loading and disabled bays, and the council changed parts of the plan after consultation.
The weakness is construction communication. Announcing that a major corridor will enter a project reported to last around 18 months without an exact start date, phase calendar or initial lane-management plan leaves residents and businesses unable to plan properly. The council should publish those details before the compound becomes operational, then update them whenever the programme changes.
Success should be judged by more than whether the new lane is completed. The useful tests are safer crossings, fewer serious collisions, reliable buses, workable loading and disabled access, and whether congestion is managed rather than simply displaced into nearby residential streets.
What to watch next
The next important information is the confirmed start date and traffic-management plan for Fourth Avenue to Hove Street. Readers should also watch for temporary bus-stop changes, night or weekend working, parking suspensions and the timetable for moving west.
Brighton Locals will revise its assessment when the council publishes those details. Evidence of prolonged bus delays, loss of essential access or traffic displacement would make the current view more cautious; a clear phased programme with measured journey and safety data would strengthen the case for the scheme.
Bottom line
The A259 rebuild is a significant transport project, not a short resurfacing job. Its final design could make the west Hove corridor safer and more accessible, but the first practical test is whether the council gives people enough precise notice to live and work around the construction.
Sources: Brighton & Hove City Council’s construction announcement, the council’s May 2026 Traffic Regulation Order decision, and Brighton and Hove News for the reported 18-month duration and roadworks-map detail.
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