 Heathlands Road reopening delayed by bad weather
Unfortunately, we cannot reopen Heathlands Road on Friday (13 February) as intended.
The persistent and heavy rain means we are unable to re-lay and surface the road.
We are doing everything we can to reopen Heathlands Road safely, but we're sorry for the inconvenience.
Since resuming work at the junction with Easthampstead Road in the new year, we have been reconstructing the road surface, alongside utility and pavement improvements.
It was our intention to move into the next phase on 16 February, which would have seen three-way temporary traffic lights in place for two weeks. This will now be delayed and we appreciate this is frustrating.
The planned closure of Easthampstead Road for Openreach work was due to take place from 13 to 16 February. This has now been rescheduled to run from 8pm on 13 March to 6am on 16 March. This is to coincide with the reopening of Finchampstead Road during the day.
 Explaining the delay in more detail
The heavy rainfall has delayed our ability to install what is known as a sub-base, the stone layer that asphalt is laid on.
We tested this recently to check the firmness, prior to laying the asphalt, but it was found to be saturated.
This testing cannot be done too far in advance as it needs to be an accurate reflection of its condition.
We have been using pumps to remove as much of the water as possible.
To mitigate this, we are using an alternative solution that is less susceptible to rain, but it will still need to be tested in order for us to go ahead.
Asphalt surfacing has been re-booked for 20 February, with the intention to reopen Heathlands Road on 21 February. If this changes, we’ll update you via this newsletter.
 Impacts to upcoming phases at this junction
As mentioned above, we will not be able to move into the next phase on 16 February as planned.
Assuming our alternative method passes testing and we are able to reopen Heathlands Road on 21 February, the new timeline is outlined below:
-
23 February to 6 March: Three-way temporary traffic lights on Easthampstead Road and Heathlands Road
-
7 to 12 March: Junction will be fully open while waiting for the roundabout project at the junction of Finchampstead Road and Molly Millars Lane to move forward
-
13 (night) to 16 March (early morning): Closure of Easthampstead Road for Openreach works. Please note, we have been given verbal confirmation that work will go ahead on these dates
-
16 March to 10 April: Junction of Easthampstead Road and Heathlands Road fully closed for final phase. During the closure, we will be reconstructing the carriageway
The timing of the closure from mid-March to mid-April has not changed as a result of the setback on Heathlands Road.
Finchampstead Road will be open from 13 March, but there will still be about two weeks of overnight closures (8pm to 6am) on the roundabout for the final surfacing.
Easthampstead Road will be closing for one night, starting at 8pm on Tuesday 3 March through to 6am on Wednesday 4 March. This is to allow SSEN to carry out overhead line diversionary works. Pedestrian access will be maintained.
Helpful links
You can see all disruption across the borough using our live roadworks map.
If you have any questions or want to report a problem related to this project, please email Balfour Beatty or call 0800 121 4444 during business hours.
Before getting in touch, please check that we haven’t already answered your question on our FAQs about how we’re building the road or how the finished layout will work.
Other helpful links include:
|
