One of the few roads to cross the mainline railway to and from Brighton station will be closed for at least 18 weeks for repairs.
Brighton and Hove City Council closed Dyke Road Drive on Monday (29 April) to mend the pavement and kerbs and repair the “parapet wall”.
Parts of the wall need to be completely removed and rebuilt during the works which are expected to take until the end of August.
There is a drop of 164ft – or 50 metres – behind the parapet wall.
Part of the pavement needs to be taken up and relaid to make way for the new wall and the council is using the road closure to fix neighbouring pavements and kerbs.
The council sent letters to nearby homes and informed schools because many parents and pupils use the route to reach Stanford Infant and Junior schools, Windlesham House and Cardinal Newman Catholic School.
Signs were placed in Preston Road before the viaduct, The Upper Drive by the corner of Merlin Close, in Dyke Road northbound just before the Tesco Express petrol station, southbound after the junction with Wincombe Road and on the uphill side of Millers Road.
Labour councillor Trevor Muten, the cabinet member for transport, parking and public realm, said that he recognised that not everyone would have known about the closure before work started.
Councillor Muten said: “I appreciate the inconvenience that will have caused some parents and we will be working hard to update parents and carers of children at nearby schools to make sure they are fully informed of how these works are progressing over the coming weeks.
“These works are needed to make Dyke Road Drive safer for the whole community including pedestrians, those with wheelchairs or buggies and school children as well cyclists and motorists.”
Councillor Muten added: “This work is scheduled to take up to 18 weeks and I completely understand the residents’ frustration and apologise for the disruption.
“We wish to thank the whole community for their patience and understanding during these important safety improvements.”
Access over the railway bridge will not be possible while Dyke Road Drive is closed off.
The nearest east-west crossings are under the bridges in The Drove, to the north, and by the traffic lights where Old Shoreham Road meets New England Road to the south.
The bridge with parapets is in old shoreham Road. The line goes into a tunnel about half way up between OSR and dyke road and re-emerge the other side of dyke road. No need to shut dyke road as track is underground.
Dyke Road Drive. Not Dyke Road. The parapet is not on the bridge but just to the east of it.
Pity about the picturesque parapets. Features like that are a pleasure of the city.