All parts of Brighton and Hove have been brought to a standstill following the closure of The Kingsway following reports of subsidence.
Police cordened the seafront following reports that the road had begun to subside.
Eastbound traffic is being diverted off the A259 Kingsway up the B2185 Grand Avenue and The Drive to join the A270 Old Shoreham Road. Westbound traffic is being diverted from the Aquarium roundabout up the A23 via London Road to the Old Shoreham Road causing the city centre to gridlock.
Sussex Police say they were originally informed that there was a “five foot hole” in the road but further investigations revealed a “depression” rather than a hole.
A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “It was discovered by workmen engaged in underground building work at the Forunte of War pub.
Labour moved quickly and called for the Greens to take urgent action to prevent further seafront collapses.
Warren Morgan, Leader of the Labour and Cooperative Group group on Brighton Council, said: ‘Today’s collapse of the structure under the A259 seafront road near the junction with West Street shows how critical the condition of our most important transport arteries is. It is vital for business, tourism and of course traffic, and major disruption will do immense harm to our city’s economy.
“I believe that despite knowing that the city’s main seafront road and the arches below it are in need of tens of millions of pounds of investment, the council’s Green leadership has chosen to spend money on a series of other traffic and transport projects it has deemed more important and more in line with their political priorities. This has to end now.”
Labour is calling for the £8 million of funding that the council has secured for the Valley Gardens improvement scheme to be diverted immediately to deal with the urgent work needed to keep the A259 seafront road open, and without delay set up a project board under a designated senior officer to oversee a thorough and immediate survey, and prioritise urgent repairs to the city’s most important piece of infrastructure.
The Greens spokesperson is on gardening leave.
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