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Moving Around the Borough

Safety treatments set to start across borough

We're about to start the next phase of our annual road and footway maintenance programme by carrying out surface dressing at more than 100 locations.

This is a cost-effective alternative to a full resurfacing and is useful when the top layer of a road starts wearing away, which is called delamination.

Delamination isn't always dangerous, but surface dressing can stop it deteriorating to the point where it does become a hazard.

Our partners at Volker Highways have almost finished patching the carriageway at each location, which is needed before main works can begin.

They apply layers of bitumen and stone chippings to the carriageway and roll them in, before the road is reopened for traffic to further press the chippings.

The team return a few weeks later to sweep up excess chippings and there is a temporary, signed 20mph speed limit until then.

You can see which streets we'll be working in, and when, on our works schedule.

How surface dressing supports the wider programme

When surface dressing is finished, the results don't look as neat as a full resurfacing but the road is protected from further damage for up to 10 years.

It can cost as little as one-tenth of a full resurfacing, which allows us to save our increasingly limited resources for the sites that need this most.

As with all local authorities, we're facing growing and unprecedented financial pressures and have to spend as cost effectively as we can.

These treatments make the road safer by reducing the skid risk, seal it from water and have a one-year warranty in case of any issues.

They're also better for the environment as they use less carbon.

Excess chippings straight after the treatment are also perfectly normal, and will either be rolled into the road by traffic or swept away.

We check our roads throughout the year through technical surveys and visual inspections, which helps us plan the annual maintenance programme based on where works are needed most. We don't always see problems straight away and you can report them to us.

Closure in village to work on river crossings

We'll be closing Mill Lane in Sindlesham between Monday 4 and Sunday 10 August to carry out essential routine maintenance on the bridges over the River Loddon.

The diversion, which you can view on our map, is via Mole Road, Hatch Farm Way and Lower Earley Way or the other way round.

Access will stay open for residents and customers of the Moat House hotel and Poachers pub, but please approach from whichever side you need to be on as you won't be able to cross the bridge nearest the M4 (pictured above).

As we reported last week, SGN is now upgrading the gas network in Sindlesham and has closed Bearwood Road with diversions until around the end of August.

This will be followed by a closure on Mole Road from 1 September until about mid-November. Any queries should be emailed to SGN or call 0800 912 1700.

We coordinate all street works to ensure they cause the least possible disruption.

Image: Pablo Haworth (linked under Creative Commons 2.0 licence)

DID YOU KNOW? The bridge nearest the M4 at Sindlesham is known as a "Bailey bridge" after Sir Donald Bailey, a civil engineer who invented the design during the Second World War. We installed the current one about 15 years ago as a safety upgrade on the previous version.

Electrifying event showcases future of driving

More than 200 people recently attended an electric vehicle (EV) awareness event at Winnersh Triangle Business Park which we supported.

Guests could test drive a range of EVs and find out more about the savings benefits and available grants, while meeting dealers and infrastructure suppliers.

About 160 test drives were undertaken, with 40 vehicles from 17 different brands on offer, and surveys afterwards showed a high level of interest.

Many who attended hadn't driven an electric vehicle before, but said they wanted to explore the idea further.

The event was open to everyone and organised in partnership with Let's Experience Electric, Winnersh Triangle Business Park and all six Berkshire councils.

We're very thankful to the business park, who kindly provided the venue and digital display equipment free of change.

Another event is planned at Elms Field in Wokingham this September, with more details to be confirmed nearer the time.

We're working to help everyone make the switch to electric vehicles, with the sale of new petrol and diesel cars set to end in 2030. We've already installed a several chargepoints with funding from the Department for Transport, and we'll be making another big announcement very soon.

New bus timetable offers boost for business park

The timetable for Reading Buses' 500 park and ride service at Winnersh Triangle Business Park will be updated next Monday (28 July).

Some extra journeys have been added in the mornings from Monday to Friday, with buses starting earlier from Reading Station.

There are also minor timetable changes to improve punctuality and stagger journeys with the Mereoak park and ride 600 from St Mary’s Butts.

Passengers can also get half-price return fares, including parking, at £2.50 on the 500 and 600 as well as the 300 serving Mereoak and Thames Valley park and rides.

It's hoped that this will boost passenger numbers on these routes, which are recovering after the 2020 pandemic but not as quickly as other services.

There'll be rail replacement buses between Twyford and Henley from Monday (July 28) to Friday next week as Network Rail carry out maintenance work on the tracks. Find out more about how your journey could be affected.

Upcoming roadworks

As part of our annual road maintenance programme, we'll be carrying out patching works at almost 50 locations across the borough this week.

There isn't space to list this many, so please check our works schedule and have a look at our interactive map to see how you could be affected.

Here are some other works that we think could affect your journey - you can check the full list on our website.

Finchampstead

Multi-way lights - Nine Mile Ride
Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 July

We'll be setting up lights between Park Lane and White Horse Lane to carry out drainage maintenance. View on map

Wargrave

Road closure - School Lane
Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 July

Thames Water is closing the road near the junction with Dark Lane to adjust a fire hydrant. View on map

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 resurfacing 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