Refurbishment of Reading Bridge Flow Gauge 2022: river restriction notice
Published 7 June 2022
© Crown copyright 2022
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/refurbishment-of-reading-bridge-flow-gauge-2022-river-restriction-notice/refurbishment-of-reading-bridge-flow-gauge-2022-river-restriction-notice
When
Wednesday 8 June to Friday 17 June 2022, 9am to 5pm daily.
Where
Caversham reach, between Caversham and Mapledurham Locks.
Details
A 50-metre section of the river will be restricted at NGR: SU7180274065 WHAT3WORDS: MONKS.DIVIDE. CALM from Wednesday 8 June 2022 to Friday 17 June 2022 daily 9am to 5pm. The navigable width of the river will be reduced to approximately half of its normal width. There will also be short periods of time where the river will have to be closed to allow for the works to transfer from one side of the channel to the other, this may take a few hours.
This is to allow the refurbishment of the Reading Bridge flow gauge. The current equipment has reached the end of its operational life. We need to excavate a trench in the river bed in order to lay new cables across the river to bring the flow gauge back into service. Once the trench has been excavated, divers will lay the cable in a specially designed weighted casing and anchor it within the trench. Then the trench will be backfilled.
The information captured by our network of gauging stations enables us to monitor flows and levels in the Thames 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and we use it in a number of strategically important ways: to help us forecast and respond to developing flood risk, to manage water levels to support the provision of drinking water supplies, to enable safe navigation and to protect the river’s ecology.
We apologise for any inconvenience these works cause and thank you for your patience during this time.