Plan ahead for major road works on Whiteknights Campus this summer
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Update 20 July 2015
Phase 1 – Starts Monday 13 July and finishes Friday 24 July
Phase 2 – Starts Monday 27 July and finishes Friday 21 August
Phase 3 – Starts Monday 24 August and finishes Friday 18 September
Each section of the access road will remain closed at the end of each phase and over the intervening weekends between phases.
Update 14 July 2015
The temporary car park on Queen's Drive is now closed in connection with construction works culminating in the provision of a new permanent surface car park. The work is being completed in several phases, comprising initial archaeological investigations and excavation to allow reuse of the temporary surfacing elsewhere on campus, followed by the construction of the new car park itself. The current anticipated completion date is January 2016. Parking will not be available until the new car park is completed.
Starting this week, contractors will be rebuilding the internal University road from the Pepper Lane entrance up to the Russell Building. The original road was not intended to be a public highway, and with depressions, cracks, potholes and other defects, the road is now beyond economic repair.
The work is significant in both scale and time: the road will be completely rebuilt and the work will take two months to complete, starting in mid-July and completing in mid-September. Diversions will be in place both around the University and on the surrounding roads throughout the entire period.
The contractors are phasing the work to minimise the impact on staff, students, visitors and bus routes. The closure of the Pepper Lane entrance will take place during the school summer holidays (25 July- 21 August), when traffic flows to and from campus and on the surrounding roads are lighter than the rest of the year.
However, traffic is still likely to build up during rush-hours. Staff are encouraged to consider making alternative travel arrangements for these four weeks. For example, colleagues could consider working at home (with line management approval) on some days, using public transport, or staggering the start of their working day.
Bus diversions
Reading buses will divert the 21/21a service during the entire period.
- If you‘re coming to Whiteknights Campus from town, the bus will still stop at the stop outside Whiteknights House and the bus will exit via Chancellor's Way and turn into Pepper lane from Shinfield Road.
- If you're travelling to town, the buses will not be coming into campus: the nearest Reading bound stop is at the end of Chancellor's way on Shinfield Road.
Programme of works
Phase 1 – Monday 13 July - Friday 24 July
Pepper Lane entrance partially open. Access to car parks 8-15 only. For car parks 1 - 7, use Shinfield Road entrance
Phase 2 – Monday 27 July - Friday 21 August
Pepper Lane entrance is closed. For car parks 1-15, you must use the Shinfield Road entrance.
Phase 3 – Monday 24 August - Friday 18 September
Pepper Lane entrance partially open. Access for car parks 8-15 only. For car parks 1 - 7, use Shinfield Road entrance.
There will be reduced parking in car park 8 as it will be used as a site compound for the works.
Please view maps for more detail
The estates and facilities team will send details of the works to everyone who is organising events over the period so that they can inform delegates and visitors of the work planned and the arrangements in place during the different phases of the work. They will also write separately to everyone who holds an annual parking permit.