Cycle path suspended outside Museum of Natural History from 8 February until Dec 2021

Temporary cycle and pedestrian diversions along Parks Road

Construction works are taking place to repair and waterproof the two-storey basement which is located under the Museum Lawn along Parks Road. This basement is being refurbished to create a new facility for storing and teaching with the University’s museums’ collections.

The basement structure extends out below the stone boundary wall and footpath on Parks Road and, in order to carry out repairs and re-waterproofing, construction hoardings will be installed along the site, on the outside of the boundary wall. This will narrow the width of pavement along that road, making it unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists to share the space.

Therefore, the current southbound cycle route has to be temporarily suspended and the footpath diverted to a new line on the grass verge, with a new tarmac surface.

The sequence of actions requires the barriers to be installed before the construction hoardings, and so it is not immediately apparent as to why they are required and what they are for. We would like to emphasise that these are temporary diversions, and enhanced signage and visibility measures for all users of the area will serve to keep both pedestrians and cyclists safe while works are underway. These works have been agreed with the County Council Highways Department.

To maintain access and safety in the area, the following steps are being taken:

  • For pedestrians: The footway is being moved to a temporary tarmac surface on the grass verge because the pavement along the east side of Parks Road will be narrowed to accommodate the construction works.
  • For cyclists: Temporary cycle barriers have been installed as a safety requirement because these works are about to take place. They are designed to stop cyclists from carrying on and mixing with pedestrians on the narrowed footway. Cyclists are directed to either dismount to remain on the footpath or divert onto the carriageway.

Additional safety measures in the area include:

  • Reflective tape will be added to the chicane barriers to enhance visibility, and more permanent signs included to instruct cyclists to dismount if they wish to continue on the pathway.
  • Additional signage will be installed both north and south of the diversion to forewarn both cyclists and motorists.
  • Enhanced signage will be installed in the area to warn motorists of cyclists in the road.

More details about why the works are taking place can be found at Radcliffe Science Library | RSL refurbishment (ox.ac.uk)


First published: 8 February 2021

Last updated: 11 March 2021