Reading Bridge flow gauge refurbishment 2021: river restriction notice
Updated 1 June 2021
© Crown copyright 2021
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When
9am Tuesday 5 October to 4pm Friday 8 October 2021.
9am Monday 11 October to 4pm Friday 15 October 2021.
9am Monday 18 October to 4pm Thursday 21 October 2021.
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 9am Tuesday 5 October to 4pm Friday 8 October, 9am Monday 11 October to 4pm Friday 15 October and 9am Monday 18 October to 4pm Thursday 21 October 2021. 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.