Manor Road at Kempston Hardwick stays shut to through traffic until Friday 27 November for Universal's earthworks, then reopens with traffic management.

Manor Road at Kempston Hardwick will stay closed to through traffic until Friday 27 November. It was due to reopen on 5 October. Universal needs another seven weeks to move earth across its resort site before the winter sets in.

Universal told neighbours in a letter dated 18 September. Bedford Borough Council’s highways officers have now confirmed they agreed. Their briefing for next Monday’s Universal scrutiny committee says the closure was “granted and is in place until 5 October 2026”. Universal then asked to run it to 28 November. Officers “are content that the extension to the closure is required in order to complete these earthworks”.

Manor Road runs past Kempston Hardwick station, about four miles south west of Bedford town centre. It has been shut 24 hours a day since 27 July.

Why the road is shut

The council’s briefing gives the reason plainly. The closure lets Universal carry out “mass hauling of earthworks from the Core Zone to the Lake Zone of the site”. Its haul road crosses Manor Road close to the Marston Vale line, so a closure was needed “to prevent queuing back on to the Marston Vale railway line”.

Universal wanted the extra weeks to finish before the weather turns. Officers say the request was made “to avoid risk of adverse weather conditions and shorter days”.

What happens after 27 November

The road does not simply reopen and stay open. Universal’s letter and the council’s briefing set out three stages:

When What happens Source
Until Fri 27 November Closed to through traffic, 24 hours a day Universal letter, 18 Sep
From Sat 28 November, for about three months Reopens with traffic management in place Universal letter, 18 Sep
After that, possibly from March 2027 Another closure is expected Universal letter; council briefing

The winter reopening follows the ground. Universal’s programme shows that “the mass movement of material will lessen during the winter months due to ground conditions”. Officers expect the road to reopen to through traffic between December 2026 and February 2027. They add that “traffic light control may be required during this period”.

The next closure is less certain. Universal says only that “we anticipate another road closure” and will give advance notice. The council’s briefing says a closure “may be required from March 2027 onwards” to divert underground services. It adds that this “has not been confirmed as the location of all underground services have yet to be established”.

Timeline of the Manor Road closure at Kempston Hardwick: closed to through traffic from 27 July 2026; original end date 5 October; extended end date 27 November; reopens with traffic management for about three months from 28 November; a further closure possible from March 2027, not yet confirmed.
Graphic by The Bedford Times. Dates from Universal's letter to neighbours and the council's scrutiny briefing.
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What it means for you

  • Driving through. Follow the signed diversion, which Universal says stays as it is. It uses Woburn Road and the A421, and Universal’s diversion map shows the full route.
  • Catching a train at Kempston Hardwick. Rail services are unaffected, Universal says. Drive in from the Woburn Road junction at the western end of Manor Road, as far as the closure point, to drop off or pick up. Then turn round and leave the way you came.
  • Living inside the closure. Universal’s map says a dedicated attendant at the closure point will escort residents to and from their homes.
  • Planning for winter. Expect the road open but under traffic management from 28 November. Do not rely on that lasting past February.

Universal posts closures on its community updates page, and you can sign up there for email updates. Other closures across the borough are on our Bedford roadworks and travel page.

Also in the council’s briefing

The same briefing gives a rare look at the other transport work around the resort. It says:

  • No complaints have reached the council about the Manor Road closure, or about the traffic control on Broadmead Road.
  • No other closure requests had come from Universal when the report was written.
  • Wixams station will have four platforms and has been commissioned by the Department for Transport. The council is now a stakeholder “following termination of the Wixams 2 platform contract”.
  • A new Kempston Hardwick station is planned on land inside the Universal footprint, designed and delivered by East West Rail.
  • A better local bus network “would ideally be in place by late 2029”, so staff and visitors have options before the resort opens in 2031.

A separate officer report to the same meeting says the resort is “currently anticipated to open in 2031”.

The Universal Project Overview and Scrutiny Committee meets at 6.30pm on Monday 5 October in the Council Chamber at Borough Hall. The council says the meeting is open to the public.

Our earlier reports cover the 23 firms named to build the resort and the government’s Universal jobs taskforce.

Sources