The cycle lane on Brighton’s seafront has fully reopened for the first time since 2012 thanks to progress restoring historic arches beneath.
The lane has been cleared over a 100m stretch near the West Pier and resurfaced with smooth tarmac.
It forms part of the National Cycle Network route 2 from Cornwall to Kent and carries up to 2,500 riders a day in summer.
Lead councillor for transport Ian Davey said: “It’s great to have the cycle lane open again. I know it’s been inconvenient for cyclists to have to cross the road and thanks to them for bearing with us.
“The arches works are essential if the A259 is to remain open as a road. This is the first time a council has made a serious commitment to that since they were built over 100 years ago.”
Local cycling advocate and transport consultant Mark Strong said: “My main reaction is about time too! This is NCN2 – the council wouldn’t close the A259 for two and a half years.
“It also doesn’t look like there’s much space for pedestrians alongside the reopened cycle track – ‘share the space’ signs might be advisable until the full width of prom is reopened.”
Meanwhile works are continuing to rebuild a row of 33 new seafront arches beneath. These are scheduled to be finished in the autumn – though as with the Edward Street roadworks, such work can always be delayed by weather or building snags.
The city council’s transport department is in the middle of a £5m, three-year strengthening of the upper promenade, essential to keeping the A259 road open.
It will ensure the arches can support the current highway loadings from the road for the next 120 years. The road itself is unaffected by the arches works.
When complete the arches will be used for commercial premises, storage and beach chalets.
In a previous phase, 26 arches further west were rebuilt and turned into retail outlets and new public toilets.
The A259 reopened fully to cars last month, after partially closing in April when an arch at the Fortune of War pub underneath collapsed.
More uncritical churnalism in action here, I’m afraid: despite what the press release you cut and pasted may have said, Sustrans’ “National Cycle Route 2” does not run from Kent to Cornwall. The section passing through Brighton manages Hastings to, er, Goring-by-Sea. Good luck seeing Land’s End from there.
And at least half this “National Cycle Route” is just ordinary road which someone has stuck a cycle route sign on – so, basically, no different from any other road then. (For instance, take the egregious section westward from Seven Sisters/Cuckmere River, where you can struggle up the hill on the A259 into Seaford as huge lorries and double decker busses squeeze past you – a fine example of a ‘National Cycle Route’.)
Sustrans has just another of these dubious completely unaccountable “charities” basking in their tax free status as their fat cat directors enjoy their sinecure, getting to spend great wodges of tax payers’ money designating these aspirational cycle routes which don’t actually have any cycle infrastructure on them.