Brighton to close main road due to lockdown restrictions

Brighton City Council has announced that the popular spot from the Palace Pier to Dukes Mound on the Brighton seafront will be temporarily closed to motor vehicles to give people more space outside to exercise whilst social distancing.

The council has decided that Madeira Drive and Dukes Mound will be closed to all motor vehicles. Madeira Drive will be closed from 8am to 8pm daily for its full length from the Palace Pier.

Access to essential property for various businesses are still allowed however, which will be organised from Dukes Mound. Signs will also be put up to remind people to keep a safe distance from each other.

There are other areas in Brighton centre which the Council are looking at as possible temporary closure as the volume of traffic has fallen.

Anna Pissaridou, the Transport committee chairwoman, said: “Madeira Drive is a long, wide road right by the seafront and will create an extra safe open space for local people in the area to use for their daily walk or bike ride.

“It will provide a traffic-free place for the many residents in that area who do not have access to a garden. Practising social distancing is making us all aware of the importance of public spaces and making us rethink how we use them, but I would also ask that cyclists and pedestrians respect each other’s space and safety in this shared area.”

She made sure to assure everybody that “We’re all in this together. We are pleased to be able to offer this change so quickly and are considering other locations to see if we can extend this to other roads in the city.”

The council has repeated the message that people should stay home and only go out for essentials in order to protect the NHS.