A ROAD closure in Reading will continue for months longer than expected for water network repair works.
Bennet Road in Whitley has been closed at its junction with the A33 since Saturday, October 18, and was initially scheduled to reopen on Sunday, December 14.
However, the junction remains closed, with drivers needing to take diversions utilising the A33 and Basingstoke Road.
The closure has been put in place so Thames Water can conduct repairs to its underground network.
The closure will remain in place until Sunday, March 15, according to the one.network website.
That is a three-month extension on the original closure period, and a four-month closure in total.
Access to commercial businesses in Bennet Road remains open at its junction with the B3031 Basingstoke Road.
Occupants of the road include Reading Borough Council’s vehicle depot, Stratsone Jaguar Land Rover and The Church of Pentecost UK.
Construction traffic access is also being maintained for a project to build the ‘Greenlight Reading’ new industrial warehouse that will replace the Bennet Court offices, which were demolished earlier this year.
A spokesperson for Thames Water said: “Health and safety is our number one priority.
“We have extended the works in Bennet Road until March 2026, following detailed investigations that confirmed this is a complex repair.
“Additional groundworks and specialist engineering are required to ensure the long-term safety and stability of the road before completing the main repairs.
“A signed diversion route remains in place, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
The phone answering machine for Jaguar Land Rover states: “Please be aware that we are open as usual.
“There is currently a road closure blocking the main access route, but you can still reach the site via Bennet Road. Thank you for your understanding.”
A staff member at the dealership said: “It would affect us naturally. People drive onto the A33 to get to our business. People may think we’ll go to the next place. It’s a shame it’s going to March now.”
Bennet Road is also occupied by the Thrifty car and rental company and the Dulux Decorator Centre.
A woman who works at Thrifty said: “It is causing delays, but we haven’t had any complaints. There are more delays coming in and out.
“It’s making going home worse.”
A staff member at Dulux said: “It’s mainly the trade people that don’t come in as much because they think the road is closed, but everyone else still comes in.
“We’d like the trade people to know that we are still open.”
He added that he uses the roads in Kennet Island on his journey home to and from West Reading.
