Cow Lane in Reading will be closed this weekend while the old railway bridge is finally taken down.
The lane which links West Reading and Caversham via Richfield Avenue and Portman Road will close on Friday, November 3 at 8pm and will reopen on Monday, November 6 at 5am. There will be no access for pedestrians or drivers while works are carried out, but diversions will be signed.
Those who travel from Caversham to Tilehurst for work, shopping or other should take note of this and use alternative routes, plus allow extra time for your journey.
The removal of the low tunnel (brick arch) is part of the plan to get rid of the notorious Cow Lane bottleneck by creating a wider road suitable for two-way traffic to allow HGV’s and Busses to pass through this valuable route that will benefit Caversham people and will also ease congestion in Oxford Road.
Contractors during the works will widen the tunnel, get rid of the traffic lights and also create a footpath and cyclepath. A contingency closure is also planned from Friday, November 10 at 8pm until Monday, 13 November 13 at 5am, but Network Rail said it would confirm if it needed a second closure after this weekend’s work is completed.
Shyam Samani, project manager for Network Rail, said: “I’d like to thank local residents and motorists in advance for their patience as we undertake this work.
“The work at Cow Lane, taking place as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan, is vital to improve traffic flow through Reading and also to deliver safer conditions for pedestrians and Cyclists.”
Source – Network Rail