Big refurbishment for Brighton

Brighton’s seafront has a problem you can’t see from the promenade. King’s Road, the stretch of tarmac with arguably the best view on the south coast, sits on top of a series of Victorian-era arches, and those arches are failing. Without intervention, engineers warned, the road faced closure.

Now the Department for Transport has committed more than £22 million to replace dozens of them, in a bet that 21st-century engineering can keep a 19th-century structure carrying traffic for another 100 years.

King’s Road carries 22,000 vehicles and nearly 1,500 cyclists a day, funnelling tourists and locals between Brighton city centre, Brighton Pier, Brighton Beach and the i360 observation tower.

The funding, announced on 6 July 2026 and drawn from the 2025 Spending Review, will be topped up by £3.9 million from Brighton and Hove City Council.

The work splits into two phases:

• The first, between the bandstand and the i360, is due to complete in 2027;
• The second, covering the area west of Shelter Hall, is scheduled to finish by 2029.

The arches are not just structural but also serve as premises and are home to dozens of seafront businesses. The investment will fund new and improved space for cafes, bars and galleries along the front, turning a safety-critical repair job into an economic development scheme.

Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood said Brighton was home to a host of attractions, from its beach and pier to the businesses in the nearby lanes, and said the funding would let everyone continue to enjoy them for the next 120 years by revamping the arches that dozens of seafront businesses call home – boosting growth across the city.

Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport and City Infrastructure at Brighton and Hove City Council, called the announcement fantastic news and vital for the future of a key part of the city.

He said the funding would strengthen the arches so they could support the road, pavement and cycle lane on one of Brighton’s busiest routes for another century, and added that the council would work with local communities on options for a new and improved King’s Road paddling pool area.

The arches money arrives alongside a separate commitment of more than £26 million over the next four years to help Brighton and Hove City Council tackle potholes across the city.

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