 Vehicle access to be restored under railway bridge
Later this month, we will be moving to a new phase on our roundabout upgrade at the junction of Finchampstead Road and Molly Millars Lane.
The closure is currently north of the junction on Finchampstead Road, heading towards the Tesco roundabout.
We expect the next phase of work will start on Monday 26 January, which will see the closure point move to the south of the junction, between Molly Millars Lane and Tangley Drive.
On the weekend of 24 and 25 January, there will be some overnight work to establish the new phase.
With vehicle movement to be restored under the railway bridge, the next phase will run until mid-March. Pedestrian access will be maintained, with some footpath diversions.
After that is completed, the roundabout will then be open to traffic in all directions, but there will be about two weeks of overnight closures (8pm to 5am) to carry out the final surfacing and road marking and other elements required to complete the junction.
While carrying out the current phase of the roundabout project, we have also done extensive work at the Tesco roundabout, making improvements to footways and working with utility companies to strengthen their networks.
 Working with community to ease disruption
Prior to the next phase of work on the roundabout starting, we surveyed and met with residents of Eastheath Avenue.
The road is not part of the official diversion route and we have issued regular reminders to respect nearby residents and businesses while we make these important upgrades.
We asked household what they would like us to do to mitigate disruption and presented them with several options.
It has been agreed that we will introduce temporary traffic calming measures, including speed bumps and a 20mph speed limit.
We will continue to review the situation and the effectiveness of this approach and we are grateful to all residents for bearing with us.
Official diversion route
When Finchampstead Road is closed, all vehicles will be diverted as follows:
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Northbound - Finchampstead Road (B3016), Nine Mile Ride, Nine Mile Ride Extension, Eversley Road (A327), Langley Common Road (B3349), Barkham Road (B3349), Station Approach, Reading Road (A329), Station Road (A321) and Wellington Road (A321)
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Southbound - Wellington Road (A321), Station Approach, Reading Road (A329), Station Road (A321), Barkham Road (B3349), Langley Common Road (B3349), Eversley Road (A327), Nine Mile Ride Extension, Nine Mile Ride and Finchampstead Road (B3016)
You can visit one.network to find out more and see live traffic information.
Our work at the junction of Easthampstead Road and Heathlands Road has resumed following the festive break. The current phase involves a five-week closure on part of Heathlands Road.
 Wider improvements to active travel and more
As well as significantly improving traffic flows in the area, our work at this junction is about more than just providing a better roundabout.
It also includes improved pedestrian and cycle access, with new and wider sections of footway and shared use path for cyclists, as well as landscaping and tree planting.
The northern side of Molly Millars Lane will be significantly improved, with a wider, shared footway and cycleway replacing the existing grass verge.
A signal-controlled toucan crossing will be installed to the north of the junction on Finchampstead Road, along with a controlled pedestrian crossing on Molly Millars Lane.
The pedestrian crossing to the south of the junction will be removed and replaced with a new crossing further to the south, nearer the junction with Tangley Drive.
We are sometimes asked why we are not improving the railway bridge on Finchampstead Road as part of these works. This was considered, but could not be done for logistical and financial reasons and it would be for Network Rail as the asset owner to take this forward.
 Overnight work to minimise daytime disruption
There will be two-way temporary traffic lights on Easthampstead Road during the night-time this week.
Our partners at Balfour Beatty are installing concrete safety barriers, which are essential to protect everyone from a deep excavation near the road.
The work started on Monday 12 January and takes place between 7pm and 6am, finishing on the morning of Thursday 15 January.
The teams need to work at night to reduce disruption at peak times and keep themselves safe. Traffic will flow as normal during the day.
Useful links
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