View in browser

Traffic and Travel

Wokingham Borough Connect

Have a safe trip over next week's Easter break

If you're planning a long drive over the long Easter weekend (18 to 21 April), the RAC advises travelling before or after peak times.

Roads across the South East have been busier than usual since the school holidays started, with the M25 being particularly busy around Gatwick Airport.

There are no planned closures on the M4 over Easter, but you should check online for any last-minute changes and make sure you and your vehicle are fit to travel.

Reading Buses, which runs several routes serving the borough, will be running alternative timetables on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

There are no changes to South Western Railway services in the borough and only minor changes to GWR services, but train journeys elsewhere could be affected.

If you're travelling locally, have you considered walking or cycling? It's a great way to keep healthy and we have loads of free resources.

The Lions Club's annual fund-raising Wokingham Walk starts and finishes on Elms Field, Wokingham, this Sunday (April 13). Find out more or sign up to take part. All proceeds help local good causes.

Countryside access to improve after closures

While our partners at Balfour Beatty are building the South Wokingham Distributor Road, most footpaths east of Finchampstead Road will remain shut. However, there will be improvements when they reopen in early 2027.

We know these routes are a popular way for pedestrians to travel between Wokingham town and the surrounding countryside, but it wouldn't be safe to let people walk so close to an active building site.

The finished scheme will include a new footbridge over the Emm Brook, which will be much more accessible than the existing one and separate from the new road.

In the long term, as part of the new development at South Wokingham, the wider footpath network will be resurfaced and will be suitable for cyclists. This will make them more useful for local journeys as part of our active travel network.

You can read more about this in our most recent South Wokingham newsletter, and don't forget to join the mailing list for regular updates on the project. 

Click the image above to view a diagram of the paths that are closed.

Please note that the eastern end of the Ludgrove track will be closed from early May until the autumn to allow construction vehicles to cross. There'll be alternative vehicle access, but we can't allow pedestrians for safety reasons.

In case you missed it, there'll be closures at the junction of Molly Millars Lane and Finchampstead Road from late July until early 2026, with two smaller upcoming closures over the weekends of 10/11 May and 17/18 May.

Above: SGN teams carrying new plastic gas mains pipe at a previous site (image: SGN)

Road closures coming up in south Woodley

Colemansmoor Road in Woodley will be fully closed between Loddon Bridge Road and Rivermead Road from Monday (14 April) until 23 June.

This is to allow SGN to carry out gas main replacement works, which will see old metal pipework replaced with more durable plastic that's expected to last 80 years.

Traffic will be diverted via Loddon Bridge Road and Vauxhall Drive during this period, with works taking place from 7am to 7pm in the week and on weekends as needed.

If you live in this area, you can find out more from SGN about the reasons for the work and how it might affect you.

Meanwhile, from 8am on Thursday 8 May until 6pm on Friday 9 May, we'll be closing Drovers Way between Crockhamwell Road and Clivedale Road for resurfacing.

The diversion is via Coppice Road, Loddon Bridge Road and Crockhamwell Road.

Above: slurry seal treatment at Mumberry Hill, Wargrave in 2024/5. Click or tap the photo to enlarge it

Keeping our pavements accessible to everyone

As part of our annual road maintenance programme for 2025/26, we're planning to improve footways at 19 locations around the borough.

We'll be protecting them by applying a slurry seal, which is a thin but tough layer of asphalt emulsion that's blended with finely crushed stone for added grip.

This is a cost-effective method that renews the surface, extends its life and seals minor faults without the need for a full resurfacing.

We'll also be carrying out resurfacing on 20 roads and surface dressing, which protects the carriageway and makes it more skid resistant, at over 100 locations.

We invest millions of pounds in our network each year and continually assess the roads so we can plan ahead and decide the most suitable treatments.

You can check the progress of this year's programme, but please bear in mind that works depend on the weather and can be delayed for things like heavy rain.

Reading Buses is making minor changes to several timetables, including the Mereoak Park & Ride 600, to improve punctuality.

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