Cow Lane Bridge - Reading

[ASharpe]

Does anyone know if any progress is being made with widening Cow Lane bridge just west of Reading station?

It seems to have been one delay after another.

 

[coppercapped]

Does anyone know if any progress is being made with widening Cow Lane bridge just west of Reading station?

It seems to have been one delay after another.

Work to start after the Reading Festival over the August Bank holiday, see here.

There was an argument between a landowner and Reading Borough Council about a parcel of land which was needed to widen the road at the bridge. By the time the legal process had been gone through the contractors who built the new flyover and who were supposed to demolish the old bridge had packed up and gone home.

 

[bavvo]

There were two bridges, one on each curve, hasn't one been done now?

 

[coppercapped]

There were two bridges, one on each curve, hasn't one been done now?

The one on the west curve was replaced during the Reading rebuild. The one remaining is the one that goes under the Reading - Didcot main line.

 

[MarkyT]

The one on the west curve was replaced during the Reading rebuild. The one remaining is the one that goes under the Reading - Didcot main line.

The original main and relief lines crossed the very narrow brick arch bridge that remains (the most restrictive of all the old Cow Lane structures). The new reliefs appear to have moved north a little and joined the new passenger reversible, with depot tracks and roads, on a new structure which already has a second wider parallel road level opening currently unused. The mains have been been moved south onto the new high level flyover, and another separate flyover, at a slightly lower level, carries the new Festival line. It looks like the old arch bridge carries no working track today so can be removed and the remaining cutting widened with little rail traffic disruption, although the work would be very close to the adjacent down relief, which might have to close through parts of the work. There is also more effort involved in widening and realigning the road on both sides, and making the promised cycle and pedestrian route improvements.

Attached image is looking south from north (Rivermead) side

 

[coppercapped]

The original main and relief lines crossed the very narrow brick arch bridge that remains (the most restrictive of all the old Cow Lane structures). The new reliefs appear to have moved north a little and joined the new passenger reversible, with depot tracks and roads, on a new structure which already has a second wider parallel road level opening currently unused. The mains have been been moved south onto the new high level flyover, and another separate flyover, at a slightly lower level, carries the new Festival line. It looks like the old arch bridge carries no working track today so can be removed and the remaining cutting widened with little rail traffic disruption, although the work would be very close to the adjacent down relief, which might have to close through parts of the work. There is also more effort involved in widening and realigning the road on both sides, and making the promised cycle and pedestrian route improvements.

Attached image is looking south from north (Rivermead) side

You are correct. The old brick bridge is no longer used by the railway and would have gone already if the self storage company hadn't played silly b*****s with the Compulsory Purchase Order for a few square metres of land.

 

[Dr A.Johnston]

Work going on in Reading this weekend

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/cow-lane-bridge-closed-weekend-13837789

 

[3973EXL]

Views of Cow Lane today. Busy digging out around the old brick bridge ready for tomorrow evenings road closure.

 

[3973EXL]

The old Cow Lane bridge is no more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-eng...cow-lane-railway-bridge-in-reading-demolished

 

[Dr A.Johnston]

Great Photo's thanks.

Here is a slightly different camera angle on the time lapse http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/watch-time-lapse-video-cow-13864754

 

[Wirewiper]

Cow Lane Bridge (road)works are scheduled for completion next August.

When the work is completed the road underneath will be a two-lane carriageway with headroom meeting the UK Standard Minimum Clearance (i.e. 16' 6" or 5.03m, or higher). I am pretty sure this will require lowering of the carriageway, creating a dip, so flood alleviation measures may also be needed. There will be a separate cycle and pedestrian lane.

 

[FGW_DID]

Cow Lane Bridge (road)works are scheduled for completion next August.

When the work is completed the road underneath will be a two-lane carriageway with headroom meeting the UK Standard Minimum Clearance (i.e. 16' 6" or 5.03m, or higher). I am pretty sure this will require lowering of the carriageway, creating a dip, so flood alleviation measures may also be needed. There will be a separate cycle and pedestrian lane.

Hopefully they will account for traffic turning into the depot or Cardiff Rd so provide something like a filter lane.

 

[3973EXL]

Cow Lane bridges today.



Road closes this weekend for relaying through the west bridge. Once open, the east, Low bridge, will be closed to road traffic for work to be completed as a pedestrian and cycles route.

 

[3973EXL]

Cow Lane opened this morning.

Coverage on Networkrail twitter.
https://twitter.com/networkrailwest

 

[FGW_DID]

Cow Lane was closed last weekend to allow for road resurfacing and new road markings with filter lanes for both Cardiff Road & access to the Depot:

 

[Tw99]

Overall it's made a big improvement to traffic congestion in West Reading. Nice that it's finally finished...