The A259 was closed when it was discovered the Royal Albion Hotel was at risk of “catastrophic failure”, sparking days of traffic chaos.
Brighton and Hove City Council has revealed on Wednesday that Britannia Hotels, which owns the Royal Albion Hotel, will be conducting work to demolish the part of the building at risk of collapse.
Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport, parking and public realm, said: “We’ve been pushing Britannia and their contractors to get this work done and make the area safe quickly.
“I’m satisfied the work taking place will mean the Brighton Half Marathon can go ahead as planned and that we can get the A259 open to traffic again early on Monday morning.
“Public safety is our number one priority, but I understand this has caused a lot of disruption and again I’d like to thank people for their patience.
“I’d also like to thank the organisers of the half marathon and Sussex Beacon who have been very understanding while we’ve worked to make sure this fantastic event that raises money for an amazing charity can go ahead as planned.”
Britannia Hotels and their contractors have arranged for specialist equipment to arrive on site today and tomorrow with work taking place on Friday and Saturday to remove the scaffolding, demolish the part of the building at risk of collapse and to make the area safe.
The road will remain closed on Sunday for the Brighton Half Marathon and to allow preparations for the road to be reopened.
The southern part of the A259 will then reopen on Monday morning with a contraflow, allowing traffic to pass in both directions, the council has said.
The council added that it will then work with Britannia Hotels and their contractors next week on getting the rest of the road reopened.
Organisers have confirmed that they will have access to the southern carriageway for the event.
A spokesperson from Brighton Half Marathon said: “We’d like to reassure runners that the Brighton Half Marathon on Sunday will be going ahead as planned.
“We have been working closely with the council this week regarding the temporary closure of the A259 and they have confirmed this morning that we will have access to the southern carriageway on Sunday which allows the route to remain unchanged.
“We would like to thank everyone for their patience, and we are looking forward to race weekend.”
The race will begin at 9.30am from Hove Lawns on the Kingsway.
The route travels along the seafront, winding past some of Brighton’s most recognisable landmarks.
The road closure stretches from Little East Street to the aquarium roundabout in both directions.
Andrew Peters, a spokesman for Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association, reacting to the recent news, said: “Although it looks like there will be some small progress with the south side of the road being open, having this as a contraflow with traffic lights will still be an issue.
“Maybe this will be a teaser for how it will eventually work with the roundabout taken away and a three-way traffic light system.”
On July 15 2023 the fourth floor of the Royal Albion Hotel went up in flames.
It was around 5pm when flames burst through the windows on the west side of the 200-year-old building and onlookers were ushered away from Pool Valley as fire crews attempted to fight the blaze.
But with strong winds from the shore fanning the fire, it was not long before it spread across several floors and up into the roof.
Crews from as far as London were drafted in as the major incident unfolded, with more than a hundred firefighters tackling the inferno into Sunday morning.
According to the council in July, the cost of the demolition has so far risen to more than £1.7 million – up from £1.5 million a year ago. To date, Britannia’s contribution is zero.
The hotel’s owner Britannia has failed to respond to all requests for comment. There have been no updates on what will happen to the site.
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