Businesses being 'kept in the dark' over Boundary Road bridge closures
Confusion growing over closure dates
BUSINESSES in Hambridge Road say they are being kept in the dark over planned closures of the Boundary Road railway bridge.
Signs were put up by West Berkshire Council warning motorists that the road would be closed from June 1 to October 31 so that Network Rail could carry out vital works to the railway bridge ahead of electrification.
There was confusion on Monday when the bridge remained open and the signs were subsequently taken away. West Berkshire Council's website yesterday (Weds) said that traffic lights were in operation along Hambridge Road.
However, Robin Carter, who works at Hambridge Road based company Newbury Tools, said: "We have not been told anything. We expected the road to be closed on June 1 as signs were up, but on Monday no workman were there, no traffic lights were there and the sign had been turned around.
"A young chap who works here normally parks just over the bridge is now paying £20 a month to park somewhere else because he thought the bridge was going to be closed.
"The communication has not been good."
Network Rail also said it had not requested the road to be closed between June 1 and October 31.
A member of staff working for another business in Hambridge Road said: "The signs were up saying the bridge was going to be closed from June 1 to October 31, so on Monday I went a different way thinking it was closed. I got to work and realised it was open - and it still is. No-one is quite sure what is going on."
Boundary Road was closed from May 18 - 27 to allow Thames Water to investigate how it can best connect new developments on the Newbury Racecourse site to its clean water network.
The closure caused chaos on the A339, with heavier than normal traffic around the 'Burger King' roundabout and delays of up to 20 minutes throughout Newbury.
Boundary Road will be closed for several months from September 2015 to allow for the railway bridge to be replaced.
A signed diversion will be in place while the work takes place and pedestrian access will be maintained by use of a temporary footbridge.
West Berkshire Council did not respond to requests for a comment before this paper went to press.