View in browser

Traffic and Travel

Wokingham Borough Connect

Mid-May closures at roundabout junction confirmed

Following our announcement about planned closures to support the South Wokingham Distributor Road from late July onwards, there'll also be two weekend closures in the middle of next month.

To improve and enlarge the roundabout at the junction of Finchampstead Road and Molly Millars Lane (above), we'll be closing the junction on the following dates:

• Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 May - closure on Finchampstead Road (south of junction), traffic flowing between Molly Millars Lane and Finchampstead Road (north of junction) as usual
  
  
• Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May - closure at eastern end of Molly Millars Lane, traffic flowing in both directions on Finchampstead Road as usual

Each closure is due to start at 6am on the Saturday and end at 6am on the following Monday. However, we'll aim to finish work and reopen sooner if we can. 

These closures will allow our partners at Balfour Beatty to dig trenches for underground utility pipes and cables. Access to businesses and homes will be kept open at all times, and a signed diversion will be in place.

For a detailed look at upcoming closures related to the South Wokingham Distributor Road, and proposed improvements to the surrounding countryside, sign up to our South Wokingham community newsletter.

Gearing up for this year's road maintenance

We've just started some preliminary works that will allow us to launch our annual road maintenance programme for 2025/26.

This week, our teams began pre-patching at 19 sites across the borough to ensure they're ready for surface dressing works within the next few months.

As well as clearing any overgrown vegetation, they'll be removing any damaged carriageway before they apply new layers of bitumen and stone chippings to make it more waterproof and skid-resistant.

These works depend heavily on the weather, so they might need to be delayed if it rains or temperatures are extreme when work is due on your road. This is because the treatment might not take hold properly.

We list all the pre-works on our live schedule, which is updated as soon as possible if there are any delays. Dates for the main resurfacing and surface dressing works will be added as soon as they're confirmed.

Want to report a fault with a road or learn more about how we prioritise road maintenance, or the different types of treatments that we carry out? There's loads of detailed information on our website.

Get in shape for Bikeathon fun this summer

Before this year's Wokingham Bikeathon on Sunday, 22 June, anyone needing more experience can take part in a series of free, fun and relaxed guided rides.

The sessions, led by an experienced British Cycling leader, will go at the pace of the slowest rider so that nobody is left behind.

You must be an adult and able to cycle, with a roadworthy bike and cycling helmet. The rides are free but must be booked in advance.

They start with lower mileage on cycleways before increasing the distance and moving to quiet roads with traffic.

They take place on the following dates, all at 10am:

• 25 April - FBC to Henry Street Garden Centre 
• 2 May - Cantley Park to Dinton Pastures Country Park
• 9 May - Montague Park to Foxes Den Cafe, Binfield
• 16 May - FBC to The Mutton at Hazeley Heath
• 23 May - Cantley Park to Hurst (Hurst Lanes) 
• 6 June - FBC to Riseley Tea Rooms
• 22 June - Wokingham Bikeathon

The Bikeathon is an independent event run by local volunteers, and we support it through our My Journey Wokingham team. Bookings are now open.

Above: pedestrian crossings are among the ways we can manage traffic if a valid safety concern is identified

How we deal with road safety concerns

If you're worried about long-term safety on a road in the borough, and it's not a defect or maintenance issue like a pothole, you can tell us your concerns.

However, it may be many months before we make a final decision, and we can't make changes to how we manage the traffic in every case.

We currently receive almost 20 new requests a week, and often we can't act further after looking at things like traffic volumes, reported incidents and available funds.

We base all decisions on safety alone but, after receiving a valid request, we have to prioritise any possible measures based on how much they're needed.

Given how many requests we receive, and our limited budget and resources, we expect to take 180 working days to investigate, propose and install new measures.

You don't need to have all the answers

We don't expect you to tell us what to do - you can help us by clearly explaining your concerns, with supporting evidence if possible, and the outcome you want.

Our traffic management team, who are experienced experts, will then decide the best way forward. This could include:

• traffic calming
• changes to parking regulations
• new road signs
• crossings like zebra, pelican and puffin crossings
• new road markings

If you're worried about speeding, we work with Thames Valley Police as they are responsible for enforcing speed limits.

Wait before you report - it might be on our radar!

To help us process traffic management requests as quickly as possible, it helps if we can avoid receiving duplicate reports for the same street or area.

Please check our live list to see all reports that we're already working on, how they're progressing and the outcome if they've been dealt with.

If you've already reported something yourself, please don't report it again - we are working as quickly as we can and appreciate your patience.

Upcoming roadworks

Keeping up to date

• For planned and emergency roadworks, follow us on Facebook
• To find out about roadworks near you, visit our interactive map
• For active and sustainable travel, visit MyJourney Wokingham 
• Visit our major new roads page for plans and updates
• Find out more about re-surfacing and repairs including potholes
• Report any issues with roads and streets online - including street lights, problems with traffic lights, potholes, damaged street furniture, problems with road markings and removal of dead animals. 
• Find out more about parking and permits including car park locations and costs, resident permits, park and ride services and appealing a parking fine
• Our transport and travel page includes applying for a senior citizen's or disabled person's bus and train pass, as well as public transport information
• The blue parking badges page has information on applying for, using, replacing and returning your blue badge