First Bus has issued a travel alert confirming that Heathrow’s main access tunnel will be closed between 02:30 and 03:30 on 21 September for emergency roadworks ordered by the local authority. During the one-hour window, the operator’s A4 night service will be unable to reach Terminals 2, 3 and the Central Bus Station; passengers will be set down at Nene Roundabout to await the next post-closure service. While the timing affects only two scheduled buses, these services are heavily used by flight-crew shuttle contracts and ultra-early economy passengers seeking low-cost transfers. Heathrow Airport Limited says security staff have been briefed to direct travellers to alternative pick-up points, but warns that foot access through service tunnels is prohibited. For mobility managers, the alert is a reminder that last-mile surface transport can be a single point of failure even when flights operate normally. Companies with employees on red-eye departures should verify hotel-shuttle timetables and consider ride-hail credits for affected staff. Travellers connecting from overnight rail replacement buses at Reading also need to factor in the extra transfer time. The tunnel closure forms part of wider maintenance on Heathrow’s ageing road network ahead of the winter season. Airport planners say further overnight works are likely over the next six weeks, and will be advertised with at least 48 hours’ notice.
Source: First Bus
