Work is due to start next week (20 March) on the fourth section of the new A329 Reading Road cycleway – a 1.5km stretch from Landen Grove through Woosehill Roundabout to Holt Lane.
1.5-metre-wide cycle lanes will be created along both sides of the Reading Road and will link into an existing on-carriageway cycleway.
As with previous phases, a new surface will be laid on the highway to improve the way the road space is used. This stretch of the A329 is very wide in places – from Emmbrook to Woosehill – so existing pedestrian islands and signalised crossings can stay where they are.
These crossing points, signs, as well as bus stops, will be upgraded and large sections of footpath resurfaced. Work on this phase is expected to take at least 22 weeks. The aspect of the project being worked on – such as new kerbs or resurfacing – will dictate the measures used to manage traffic.
It will mostly involve two-way manual traffic lights during the day. Closures will be needed when the project reaches Emmbrook Road and Holt Lane, although these will happen during school holidays. There will be night closures to resurface sections of Reading Road. Dates and times of these will be publicised on the borough council’s website, social media channels and roadworks.org nearer the time.
Householders and businesses along this fourth stretch of the cycleway project have been given information outlining this work in greater detail, and how it affects them.
The first three phases of the project were financed by the government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) and developers’ contributions, but this LSTF money is no longer available.
Funding for the fourth and final fifth sections is coming from a £4.2million grant from the Local Economic Partnership (LEP) Local Growth Fund being shared among Wokingham, Reading, Bracknell and West Berkshire councils and developer contributions.
The fifth phase, due to be completed in 2019, will link the eastern side of Wokingham town centre to Coppid Beech Roundabout via London Road.
When finished, the six-mile stretch from Three Tuns to Coppid Beech will form part of the Sustrans National Cycle Network and called NCN422.
Reading and Bracknell councils are partners in delivering NCN422 and plan to develop their sections, alongside West Berkshire. The route through Wokingham will eventually link to Newbury and Ascot via redeveloped Bracknell town centre.
"This section will take the new cycleway up to the western edge of Wokingham town centre giving cyclists their own dedicated highway all the way from the Three Tuns junction," said Cllr Malcolm Richards, executive member for highways and transport.
"This re-design of this section of the A329 makes better use of the space available and gives motorists, cyclists and pedestrians what they need and want to travel safely."
Details about the work can be found on a dedicated council website page.
The latest traffic conditions across the borough are also available by signing up to the council’s text and email alerts or by checking www.roadworks.org.
