Old Steine lights and Victoria Fountain switched on as revamp nears end

The new traffic lights around the Old Steine in Brighton have been switched on, as work on the third and final phase of Valley Gardens nears completion.

The Victoria Fountain is running again too. Landscaping around it is all but finished, Brighton and Hove News¹ reported, but the area will stay out of bounds for a few weeks while the new turf settles.

Valley Gardens has reworked the A23 from The Level to the seafront. The third phase replaced the Aquarium roundabout with a T-junction and traffic lights, and added crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists. It added a new off-road cycle lane linking the earlier phases to the seafront, wider pavements and a new public space between the Royal Pavilion and the War Memorial, built to host outdoor events.

Plans were first approved in January 2022.

The council’s project page lists the work left to do. The traffic lights need their final sequencing, which includes switching on a new crossing at Castle Square. Seafront bollards and litter bins have still to go in. The below-ground work for the electric vehicle charging points is done, but they need finishing. The seafront street lights are to be painted, and real-time bus information will be added as part of a wider upgrade across the city.

Planting in the gardens is taking place in September and the final trees will go in in November, in line with planting seasons. The council expects to open the gardens to the public later in the autumn, once the turf has established.

Some work will follow separately. The former art deco bus shelters in Old Steine will be refurbished as a separate project, and the work beside the Royal Albion hotel will be finished alongside any future redevelopment there.

First reported by Brighton and Hove News.