Additional entrances to Whiteknights campus open now
Wednesday, 20 June 2018
QueenÔÇÖs Drive is the road that turns into Whiteknights campus from the Shinfield Road entrance.
Maintenance works along Queen’s Drive are now underway. The University has recently received confirmation that several new entrances to Whiteknights campus and parking spaces will be accessible from Wednesday 20 June.
In addition to our Shinfield Road and Pepper Lane entrances, access to Whiteknights campus is now available from Upper Redlands Road (via the Windsor Drive entrance), and the Foxhill Gates. This route allows access through to car park 2, and then onto 1A, 3 and 4. The route is open to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.
University staff can also now park in the Windsor, Greenow and McCombie, Stenton (including Townhouses), Childs, St Patricks, Sherfield, Northcourt and Benyon halls of residence. However, please be aware that these car parks are still in use by a number of students and other users, and that parking regulations will still apply.
If you are unfamiliar with these locations, please see our campus map for details.
Current works
Work is currently taking place along a section of Queen’s Drive, and is expected to run until Friday 21 September. As a result, Queen’s Drive will be inaccessible to all vehicles, including buses.
The works will be carried out in three phases – we are currently in the first phase, which runs until Wednesday 1 August and concentrates on the section of road near the Russell building to the entrance to car park 5. Please see our original announcement for full arrangements during phases 2 and 3.
Phase 1: important information
The following arrangements will be in place until Wednesday 1 August. Please also check our separate announcement on works taking place at Shinfield Road that may also affect travel during this phase.
For those driving onto campus:
- Access is available through the Pepper Lane, Shinfield Road, Upper Redlands Road (via the Windsor Drive entrance), and the Foxhill Gate entrances.
- Car parks 6 and 7 will be closed.
- Access to car parks 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be available from the Shinfield Road entrance.
- Access to car parks 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 will be available through the Pepper Lane entrance.
- You can also use the Upper Redlands Road and Foxhill Gates entrances to access car parks 1A, 2, 3 and 4.
- Parking is also now available in the Windsor, Greenow and McCombie, Stenton (including Townhouses), Childs, St Patricks, Sherfield, Northcourt and Benyon halls of residence.
Cyclists and pedestrians:
- The public footpath which leads from Earley Gate through to Chancellor’s Way and Shinfield Road will remain open for both cyclists and pedestrians through the works.
- Pedestrians and cyclists can also use the entrances at Upper Redlands Road (via the Windsor Drive entrance) and the Foxhill Gate to enter campus.
- The footpath along Queen’s Drive from the Shinfield Road entrance will remain open as far as car park 5. Diversions will be to the rear of Whiteknights House to pick up the existing signed pedestrian route behind Blandford Lodge.
- Diversions for cyclists will go through car park 5 and across the Whiteknights House quad before picking up the internal loop road running past car park 8 towards Pepper Lane.
Bus users:
- No buses will be able to access the campus during this phase.
- Instead, route 21 will call at the bus stops on Shinfield Road at the end of Chancellors Way. There are stops in both directions, into and out of town. Additional routes 3, 9 and 10 serve this bus stops and the town centre, please see the Claret route map for full details of nearby services.
- However, please see a separate notice about works to Shinfield Road additionally closing the bus stops on Shinfield Road until 29 June.
- During these additional closures, those travelling on the 21 route from the town centre will need to alight at the Christchurch Green bus stop and walk into campus using the Queen’s Drive footpath.
- Those intending to use the 21 route into the town centre will need to use the bus stop on the adjacent side of Christchurch Green, just past the row of shops.
- Alternatively, you could use the bus stops outside the Pepper Lane entrance for travel in either direction if this is closer to your destination on campus.
- Route maps for all services are available on the Reading Buses website.
Please see our original announcement for details of all phases of work. We will continue to post updates on the staff portal as the works progress.
If you have any queries, please contact Peter Edington (extension 7619).
Story originally published 14 June 2018. Updated 20 June 2018.