Whitchurch: Bridge Shuts For Six Months

3 October 2013, 08:09 | Updated: 3 October 2013, 08:58

6 THOUSAND drivers are facing a different route to work with one of our main routes between Berkshire and Oxfordshire shutting for six months.

Some of the drivers using the Whitchurch Bridge near Pangbourne are telling Heart it's already adding an hour onto their journeys.

The toll bridge, owned and maintained by the Whitchurch Bridge Company, is closing for around six months for major re-construction from 6am on Thursday 3rd October. The project is being managed by Oxfordshire Council Council with the Whitchurch Bridge Company funding a temporary footbridge across the river.

Several measures have been put in place to minimise disruption whilst the work is carried out, with the the majority of the traffic diverting via Streatley and the rest using Caversham Bridge.

West Berkshire Council's Executive Member for Highways, Pamela Bale told us: "We have done everything we can in order to try to minimise the disruption.  We are hoping the re-construction of the bridge will proceed according to plan and this will all be as smooth and as less disruptive as possible."