 Above: a diagram showing how the next phase will look (click to enlarge)
Junction work resumes after Christmas break
Our work to reconfigure the junction of Easthampstead Road and Heathlands Road will resume on 7 January, following the festive break.
The next phase will run for five weeks and will see Heathlands Road closed at all times where it joins Easthampstead Road.
The closure is going to be 50 metres from the stop sign and not the length of the road, but there will be a diversion in place.
The road layout will be changed to allow traffic to move in both directions on Easthampstead Road while the junction is being reconfigured, with temporary traffic lights in place.
We sometimes get asked if the temporary traffic lights are out of sequence. The lights are monitored 24/7 by Balfour Beatty and have a window of just under three minutes for green phases. Some drivers are going through a red light illegally, which causes the junction to be blocked and disrupts the sequence.
 Diversion route for phase two
During the five-week closure of Heathlands Road at the junction with Easthampstead Road, the diversion route will be as follows.
Easthampstead Road, Old Wokingham Road, Nine Mile Ride and Heathlands Road (and the reverse for the other direction).
Businesses will remain open as usual and access will be maintained for residents, but there will be no pedestrian access through the site, as there will be no footways.
Our roundabout project at the junction of Finchampstead Road and Molly Millars Lane is on track and the closure under the railway bridge is due to move on 26 January to the south of the junction.
 Above: a diagram showing the completed vision for the road layout (click to enlarge)
What to expect from future phases
We are still intending to complete our work at the junction of Easthampstead Road and Heathlands Road by May.
We expect to have the new link road open around the same time and this will run from Easthampstead Road to the South Wokingham Distributor Road and join up with Waterloo Road.
After we've completed phase two, there will be three-way temporary traffic lights on both Easthampstead and Heathlands Road for seven weeks from mid-February.
Once that stage is completed, both Easthampstead and Heathlands Road will need to be closed at all times for two weeks while surfacing is carried out.
As part of our wider changes to the road network in this area, part of Easthampstead Road will be permanently closed off to form a cul-de-sac.
The road will be closed between Star Lane and Heathlands Road from April for ten months. The layout will be permanently changed and through traffic will instead follow the new link road, which will also provide access to the new housing coming to South Wokingham.
Where the Central Section meets Easthampstead Road, there’ll be a new signalised three-way junction offering access to and from the northern half of Easthampstead Road, which will help create access for housing.
 Bridge beams lifted in
The South Wokingham Distributor Road reached a key milestone just before Christmas, with the beams for the bridge over the Emm Brook being lifted into place.
Each 125-tonne steel girder was installed using a 500-tonne crane, helping to form part of what will be the new road.
There will be a shared footway and cycleway along its length, helping to promote active travel.
Footpath access will remain in the area, with some realignment to be carried out as part of resurfacing that will make it suitable for use all-year round.
The project also includes drainage measures to offset any increased risk of flooding, such as drainage channels and ponds.
You can watch a video of the beams being lifted in on our Instagram page.
Useful links
|
