Work on a new London Road bus lane starts Monday 2 November, closing a lane by Sidmouth Street until mid-November. Kendrick Road shuts in January.
Work on a new bus lane on London Road starts on Monday 2 November. A lane will be closed between Sidmouth Street and Kendrick Road until mid-November.
Reading Borough Council announced the scheme on 29 October. The first job is to remove the kerb build-out directly opposite the Sidmouth Street junction and realign the kerb.
The bigger phase comes in the new year. Kendrick Road will be shut at its junction with London Road while the main part of the bus lane is built. The council expects that to take six to nine weeks.
What the bus lane does
The stretch runs from Sidmouth Street to London Street. Today drivers heading into town have a left-turn lane on to Silver Street. That lane will become a bus lane, linking to the existing northbound bus lane on London Street.
Reading Buses says the routes that will use it are:
- the leopard 3
- the buzz 9
- the little oranges 19a, 19b and 19c
- the claret 21
Robert Williams, the company’s chief executive, said the scheme targets two corridors into town, from the Royal Berkshire Hospital and from the University of Reading. Those routes also serve Woodley, Lower Earley, Shinfield and Arborfield.
Councillor John Ennis, the council’s lead for climate strategy and transport, said: “There will inevitably be some inconvenience to road users while the works are carried out but all efforts will be made to try to mitigate disruption.”
The full timetable
The council’s release gives the start dates. Its temporary traffic orders, published on 29 October, set out the longer programme. Each closure applies only when it is signed on site.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| From Monday 2 November to mid-November | Lane closed on London Road between Sidmouth Street and Kendrick Road |
| Wednesday 25 November | Councillors decide on the Sidmouth Street layout change |
| 14 to 16 December | Sidmouth Street closed between London Road and Queens Road for three nights of resurfacing |
| 4 January to 14 March 2027 | Kendrick Road closed both ways at London Road, diverted via Silver Street, Christchurch Road, Morgan Road and Redlands Road |
| 15 March to 17 May 2027 | Sidmouth Street pedestrian island at London Road removed |
| 26 April to 2 August 2027 | No left turn from London Road into Silver Street, with traffic sent via Crown Street, Southampton Street, the Oracle roundabout, Mill Lane and London Street |
The traffic order for Kendrick Road runs to 14 March. The council’s own estimate for that phase is six to nine weeks. It says the work will be phased so Kendrick Road reopens northbound, on to London Road, as soon as possible.
Sidmouth Street changes too
A connected scheme would remove what the council calls an “under-utilised” cycle lane on Sidmouth Street, between South Street and Queens Road. In its place would be an extra lane for general traffic heading towards the town centre. The aim is to take pressure off London Road.
That plan is not yet approved. The results of the statutory consultation go to the council’s Traffic Management Sub-Committee on Wednesday 25 November. If it is approved, a temporary layout would go in before Christmas. The permanent scheme, with upgraded signals and an extra right turn into Queens Road, would be finished next spring.
Why now
The council approved plans for six new bus lanes in January 2024. They are paid for from its £26m Bus Service Improvement Plan, which is government funded. The council says the money must be spent by April 2027.
What it means for you
- Driving into town on London Road: expect one lane fewer near Sidmouth Street for the next fortnight or so.
- Using Kendrick Road: plan for it to be shut at London Road from early January. The signed diversion runs via Silver Street, Christchurch Road, Morgan Road and Redlands Road.
- On the 3, 9, 19 or 21: the lane is meant to make journeys into town from the hospital and the university more reliable once it opens.
- Cycling on Sidmouth Street: the southbound cycle lane may go. The decision is due on 25 November.
Our Reading roadworks page carries this week’s closures across the borough, and our parking guide lists the town centre car parks.
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