MOTORISTS in Finchampstead are being warned of an emergency road closure this evening (Tuesday).

Park Lane will be closed between 7pm and 11pm this evening so Thames Water can carry out emergency works.

Reading Buses has advised their Leopard 3 and 3b services to and from Wokingham will be affected, and will not be able to serve bus stops at Hogwood Lane Industrial Estate, Robinson Crusoe, Coleshill Farm, California Country Park, Manor Park Drive, California Crossroads Petrol Station and Ratepayers Hall.

Customers are advised to use the Sheerlands Road or Barkham Ride East bus stops instead.

The closure comes before a further two-week planned closure by South East Water to replace a water pipe in Nine Mile Ride.

From Monday, February 26, traffic lights will be in place while contractors inspect a section of pipe, which has burst 11 times in the last 10 years.

The company will be digging exploratory holes along Nine Mile Ride, between the junctions of Park Lane and Warren Lane, to establish the local ground conditions and other utilities along the road.

Jeremy Dufour, Project Manager at South East Water, said: “It is unacceptable to us that our customers go without water when this pipe bursts and motorists are disrupted while repairs take place.  

“As this is exploratory work and depending on the condition of the pipe, there is a chance we will need to return at some point in the coming months to install a new water main.  As soon as we have more information on what the work will involve and when we plan to carry it out, more information will be given to the local community.

“Traffic lights will be in place to keep the public and our workforce safe and our team will be working as quickly and safely as they can to minimise disruption in the area.”