Taken from Wokingham Borough Council News Centre.
Construction of two roundabouts linking two relief roads which will cut congestion in Winnersh and Wokingham have been completed. Wokingham Borough Council and its partner Balfour Beatty finished construction of the two roundabouts on Reading Road earlier this month.
These help connect Winnersh Relief Road (WRR), also known as Longdon Road, which opened in May, and the North Wokingham Distributor Road (NWDR), which is currently under construction.
The two roundabouts, which are either side of the M4, are part of the new roads project to reduce congestion in the town centre in Wokingham and main crossroads in Winnersh, as well as the wider road network.
Landscaping in the months ahead
Final landscaping and off-road work will take place on Reading Road as part of the Winnersh Relief Road project over the next few months. Since opening earlier this year the new road has provided improved walking and cycling routes to the local area.
NWDR is due for completion by next summer and will see one arm of the roundabout to the south of the M4, near the BP garage, provide the connection to the new road.
Once completed, the distributor road will connect the A329 near the BP garage on Reading Road, with the A329(M) Reading to Bracknell motorway near the Coppid Beech roundabout junction.
‘Making journeys smoother for residents’
“Completion of these roundabouts on Reading Road is another step towards reducing congestion in our borough,” said Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport.
“Our new roads project is continuing to bring major new roads to our area, supporting our communities to get around easily however they choose to travel.
“With major routes opened in Winnersh and Arborfield in the last 12 months, and more well on the way to completion, residents will see a real difference on our roads.
“These roundabouts provide the key link as we enter the final stages of work on the North Wokingham Distributor Road as we get it ready to open next year.
“I’d like to thank residents for their patience while this work has been completed and congratulate all involved for getting it finished despite the challenges of a pandemic.”
£100million+ invested
Both projects are part of the council’s major investment into new infrastructure across the borough, alongside new housing.
The new road is part of the council’s major highways project which will see an investment of over £100million and has been funded through developer contributions and with support from the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
‘Helps address congestion issues’
Bob Mountain, vice chair of the Berkshire Local Transport Body and board director at Thames Valley Berkshire LEP, said: “This is yet another step in the successful completion of this Wokingham project.
“The scheme clearly aligns with Thames Valley Berkshire LEP strategic priorities as well as addressing the congestion issues across the wider Winnersh highway network. The scheme will support the delivery of 1,415 new houses in the Hatch Farm Dairies development and other Wokingham housing areas.”
The council’s 2010 local plan included measures to improve the transport capacity in the borough through improvements to the strategic transport network, including both NWDR and WRR.
The two projects provide an alternative route around the borough for local traffic travelling through the area once the final phase of the North Wokingham Distributor Road opens next summer.
