READING Borough Council has announced that a new pedestrian and cycle bridge is set to be put in place this weekend as part of the South Reading Bus Rapid Transit scheme.
The new 53-tonne bridge is set to be taken in two parts and lifted into position over the River Kennet, measuring 47 metres long and five meters wide.
The installation will require overnight closures of the A33 Relief Road in south Reading for two consecutive weekends: from 6pm on Saturday to 9am Sunday, on November 23-24 and again from November 30 to December 1.
A signed diversion will be in place via Bennet Road, Basingstoke Road, Southampton Street/Whitley Street, and the IDR during the closures.
The installation is part of the fifth phase of the South Reading Bus Rapid Transport scheme, aimed at improving the efficiency of public transport around the borough.
This phase aims to allow buses on the A33 to avoid current traffic pinch points and further improve services to Kennet Island, Green Park and Mereoak Park and Ride, without taking away any space from general traffic.
Further measures will seek to make improvements around the Rose Kiln Lane North junction, and bring new bus lanes to the north and south to link with existing bus lanes, and additional bus stops to provide improved public transport access to Reading Link Retail Park.
The project is due to be completed in spring next year, and saw £26m in funding grants from the Department for Transport.
Councillor John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:
“The installation of this new pedestrian and cycle bridge is an exciting milestone in the fifth phase of the South Reading Bus Rapid Transit scheme.
“The new bridge will provide cyclists and pedestrians with better infrastructure and create space for an extended bus lane without taking away any carriageway from general traffic.
“Overall, this project will provide even quicker and more reliable journeys for bus passengers travelling between south Reading and the town centre. And it will improve access to shops and businesses which were previously hard to reach by public transport.
“The work will inevitably cause some disruption and I would like to thank road users for their patience.”
