READING Borough Council has announced that work is due to start on a bus lane in east Reading next week.
From Monday, August 12, work to expand and update the public transport routes on London Road will begin.
The update will see overnight closures on the route for three days as a new bus lane is established on Thursday, August 15.
The scheme is set to open alongside the launch of an expanded Winnersh Park and Ride 500 Service, which is also due to launch next week.
The council is aiming to speed up bus journeys into town from east Reading through resurfacing of London Road and lining work, as part of wider package of local transport improvements.
London Road will be closed between 7pm and 1am the following morning from Monday-Wednesday, August 12-14, and reopen on Thursday, August 15.
Traffic will be diverted via the A3290, Winnersh Triangle Junction, and Wokingham Road.
It is one of five new bus lanes set to come into force around the borough, which sees considerable congestion leading to delays in public transport, including similar works set to take place on the A4 between Liverpool Road and Amity Road.
Works are taking place this month while the summer holidays preclude disruption to school traffic, and ahead of Reading Festival, set to take place Friday-Sunday, August 23-25.
Around £26 million of investment in bus improvements has so far been tipped by the council to take place, aimed at encouraging further public transport use, in turn reducing congestion and air pollution in the borough.
The scheme, delivered through funding from the Department of Transport in 2022, has included the introduction of ticket discount initiatives, contactless payment, new Buzz 9 and Buzz 18 routes, and the latest phase of the South Reading Rapid Transit Scheme.
Elsewhere, the investment has also seen upgrades to 52 bus stops and improved park and ride services through its Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:
“Transport accounts for about 20% of all carbon emissions in Reading and poor air quality is directly related to diseases such as cancer, asthma and heart disease, and can affect our most vulnerable residents.
“The new bus lanes are part of the Council’s much wider transport strategy to encourage greater use of public transport as well as cycling and walking.
“Faster, more reliable and more frequent bus services will make public transport an even more attractive option to people travelling to Reading and around the borough, and will lead to less traffic, cleaner air and better health for residents.
“With £26m central government funding, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make significant changes to our transport infrastructure and provide credible, sustainable transport alternatives. If we do nothing, car usage will continue to grow, creating ever more congestion and air pollution and damaging the health of Reading residents.”
More information about the Bus Service Improvement Plan is available via: reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/transport-schemes-and-projects
