 Above: Easthampstead Road before clearance works started last month
First steps under way in building new road
Our partners at Balfour Beatty are making progress on the initial enabling works to allow them to complete the South Wokingham Distributor Road.
Easthampstead Road is now open again at the level crossing, following a brief closure to allow the crews to clear vegetation and create site entrances.
This was slightly delayed from its original reopening date due to heavy rain and flooding, which set work behind, and we're thankful for your patience.
During this time, the team also dug investigative holes in the road to help identify underground utilities and minimise the risk of damaging them.
They will now be pressing ahead with further tree and hedge clearance works, with a view to starting main construction works in the spring.
In the long term, we're planning a lot more planting and landscaping to make up for trees and hedges that were cleared in these early stages.
 Above: the junction on Finchampstead Road which will be improved as part of this project
When will my journey next be affected?
Although main works are expected to start this spring, subject to final confirmation, we aren't expecting major closures or diversions until later in the year.
We’ll let you know the exact timings as soon as we can, and with plenty of notice, so please keep watching this space.
There'll be closures and diversions at the junction of Molly Millars Lane and Finchampstead Road for several months as we build a larger roundabout on land to the south-west, behind the blue hoardings pictured above.
We’ll also be making pedestrian and cycling improvements, including wider paths and improved crossings, to ensure everyone benefits.
We'll only close one entrance to the junction at a time, rather than close it all at once.
We'll also be shutting Easthampstead Road, between the Waterloo Road and Heathlands Road junctions including the level crossing, for several months while we build a junction with the new distributor road.
This is likely to start some time after the closures at Molly Millars Lane.
Don't forget: there's lots more online about the wider South Wokingham major development, and our vision for its continued growth.
 Above: the access road to Tesco car park, which will remain open during tree clearance works
Setting up for main works - the next stages
From next week (commencing 10 February), we'll be clearing trees along the entrance road to the Tesco supermarket off Finchampstead Road.
This will eventually make way for a new access road serving both Tesco and the new distributor road, with the old access road to be pedestrianised and landscaped.
Tesco will stay open throughout the works, which are expected to finish by the end of this month, with access to the car park at all times.
We'll also be clearing trees on land behind the hoardings at the Molly Millars Lane junction, to set up site and make space for the new roundabout.
There'll be a footway closure and pedestrian diversion from 9.30am until 4pm on Friday, 14 February only. There'll still be access to all businesses in this area.
Finally, we'll have temporary traffic lights on the northbound lane at Heathlands Road, immediately south of the Easthampstead Road junction.
This is to allow the creation of a site entrance and will last for up to two weeks from Monday, 17 February.
 Above: the beginning of the footpath near Tesco, which will be closed for a short time
Temporary changes to footpath access
While clearance works are taking place to the east of Finchampstead Road, footpaths in and around the area will be closed and diverted.
However, this will happen in stages to ensure there is good access throughout.
Footpath 10, which runs from Gipsy Lane to the track near Ludgrove School, will close on Monday 10 February, with the alternative route from Gipsy Lane to Luckley Road via footpaths 9, 24 and 25 remaining open.
For two weeks after that, starting on Monday 17 February, footpath 10 will be open while footpaths 9, 24 and 25 will close, including the section of footpath 25 that starts off Finchampstead Road near Tesco.
You can see all the borough's public rights of way on our interactive map, produced in partnership with Loddon Valley Ramblers.
 Above: new trees at Buckhurst Meadow, a nature park provided alongside development at South Wokingham
Looking out for the local environment
Under national planning rules, the new road must provide a “biodiversity net gain” – in other words, it must create more wildlife habitats than before it was built.
Some habitats will be relocated by working with developers to provide suitable spaces, including a new nature park, within the South Wokingham development.
We'll also make improvements through planting within the road scheme and on embankments and verges, in line with our detailed landscaping design.
This will comprise hedgerow and small woodland copses to provide visual screening from homes and help the road blend into the surrounding landscape.
Hedgerows will contain native trees to match those on nearby roads and lanes, while street lighting has been designed to reduce the impact on roosting bats.
We carried out a lot of research, including ecology and tree surveys, before we planned all these mitigation measures.
 Find out more and stay in the know
You can read all about the background to the South Wokingham Distributor Road project, including why we're building it, in our recent news story.
We'll be updating our website soon with a full timescale for the works, and we'll let you know in this newsletter when we've done that.
Don't forget: you can keep up with all current or planned roadworks across the borough using our live interactive map.
|
