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Moving Around the Borough

Above: the works site on Evendons Lane before it reopened this week

Lane reopens as complex sewer repair completed

Evendons Lane in Wokingham reopened on Tuesday (24 February) after being closed for safety reasons due to a failing sewer beneath the road.

Thames Water have finished a lengthy repair operation to pump the site out and reline the pipe to prevent a recurrence of last summer's incident.

They've thanked everyone for their patience during these works, which took longer than originally expected because of their complexity.

An initial attempt failed when excavations collapsed, forcing them to make the site safe and bring in specialist engineers.

We know this unforeseen closure added to existing pressures on our roads with the South Wokingham Distributor Road being built at the same time.

Where possible, we postponed other works applications or carefully coordinated them to minimise the risk of any further disruption.

Some minor repairs may be needed to an adjacent section in the coming days, but this won't require a closure and should finish by Sunday (1 March).

Junction works on track after rain holds up progress

Heathlands Road near Wokingham has reopened as we move to the next phase of upgrade works at its junction with Easthampstead Road.

These works, part of the South Wokingham Distributor Road project, will require three-way temporary traffic lights until Friday 6 March.

We'd hoped to open Heathlands Road sooner, but were delayed because the heavy and persistent rain made it unsafe to re-lay the road surface.

Our partners at Balfour Beatty worked quickly to identify an alternative, which minimised delays, though further disruptive works are scheduled here later.

We'll soon be reopening the junction of Finchampstead Road and Molly Millars Lane, where we've almost finished upgrading the roundabout to support the new road.

The bridge before we lifted the temporary closure earlier today

Village bridge open again after damage by lorry

Earlier this afternoon, we were able to reopen the bridge at Church Road in Swallowfield after it was shut following a collision by a lorry.

We've installed concrete blocks to form a temporary barrier between the road and the river beneath, so it's safe although access is narrower than usual as a result.

We'll keep you posted on any permanent repair works when these are arranged.

Don't forget there'll be closures in Wokingham town centre during most of Sunday (1 March) for Wokingham Town Council's Lunar New Year celebrations.

Above (click to enlarge): the proposed improvements to the Suttons Seeds roundabout on the A4

Bus lane proposal to improve everyone's journeys

We're asking your thoughts on our plans to improve access into Reading on the A4 London Road, at the Suttons Seeds Roundabout on the borough border.

We're proposing two new sections of dedicated bus lane, which wouldn't take any space away from the road, on the westbound approach to the roundabout from Shepherds Hill and the southern side of the roundabout itself.

We'd remove the existing bus-only access onto the A4 London Road outside the small shopping parade and divert buses onto London Road, and improve the waiting area at The Drive bus stop to make it accessible to more services.

By eliminating conflict between buses, traffic and parked cars, buses will find it easier to run on time. Drivers will benefit from additional traffic lights and a new layout to help traffic flow better, and clearer lane markings.

We're working with Reading Borough Council, who plan to shorten their bus lane further west and create a right-turn only lane opposite Liverpool Road.

This would be funded by the Department for Transport and supports our aim of balancing car use with improving access to walking, cycling and public transport.

All change for the better as buses go greener

New zero-emission electric buses have been rolled out on two routes between Reading town centre and Wokingham Borough.

Reading Buses have upgraded their fleet for the claret 21 to Lower Earley via the university, and the purple 17 to the borough boundary at Wokingham Road.

The 24 double-deckers are cooled and heated using a heat pump, and have charging points with phone holders, tables, luggage space, free wi-fi and more.

They also have a second multi-use wheelchair and buggy bay, helping to make services more comfortable and accessible.

The vehicles should save the equivalent of more than 1,800 tonnes of carbon emissions per year compared to the previous diesel buses.

Still time to shape bus network's future

You've got another three weeks to give your views on how we provide funding for certain bus services in Wokingham Borough.

We haven't got funding to make all the improvements we'd like, and your feedback will help us decide what to prioritise. Respond by Friday 20 March.

For five nights from Monday (2 March), the eastbound M4 will close overnight (9pm to 6am) between Junctions 11 and 10, with a diversion, while National Highways carry out drainage and carriageway surveys. It will then close overnight in the westbound direction for five nights from Monday 9 March.

Click or tap this image to watch a full resurfacing treatment in action

VIDEOS: Looking after your roads all year round

Last week, we explained how we're busy fixing potholes across the borough to keep you safe, which is always a major undertaking in the rainy season.

We also proactively maintain our roads, and we've almost finished our annual maintenance programme for 2025/26 following the last few resurfacing works.

A full resurfacing is where we strip a worn road surface away and replace it with a fresh layer of asphalt. You can watch a resurfacing in action in our new video.

But this isn't always necessary. If a road is less heavily worn, we may instead apply thin layers of bitumen and chippings to the existing surface and roll them in.

This is called surface dressing and it's a cost-effective treatment, recommended by the Government, which extends a carriageway's life by up to 10 years.

It may not look as neat, but that doesn't mean it's not working as intended. You can watch our video of a surface dressing to understand the difference.

Our annual programme also includes sealing treatments to help extend the life of the borough's footways.

We're putting together our maintenance programme for 2026/27 and will announce more details as soon as we can. Works will start in the spring, with some initial carriageway patching works carried out before then.

Meet-and-greet sheds light on bike safety laws

Did you know it's a legal requirement to have a front white light and rear red light on your bike when it's dark?

Our My Journey Wokingham team recently handed free emergency lights to two school pupils who were out cycling at dusk, as part of an event at Wokingham station to raise awareness of the law and keep everyone safe.

The students' bikes were also heavily damaged, but My Journey's Dr Bike mechanic (above) was able to get them back in a roadworthy condition.

The team chatted with rail commuters, supported by the police, explaining the importance of highly visible and reflective clothing when cycling.

You can find out more about what they're up to or book places at the next Dr Bike sessions at Woodford Park in Woodley throughout March.

Want to be a better biker? Thames Valley Advanced Motorcyclists are hosting a series of courses across Berkshire (and beyond) this spring and summer. Entry is from £25 - find out more and book your place.

Upcoming roadworks

We think these works will be the most disruptive, but you can see a list of all upcoming works in your area or browse our interactive map.

Hurst

Temporary lights – Davis Street
Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 March

There'll be temporary lights at the junction with Lee Heath Way while Cityfibre carry out reinstatement works.

Twyford

Temporary lights – Hurst Road
Monday 2 to Friday 6 March, 9.30am to 4pm

There'll be temporary lights at the junction with Waltham Road while Network Rail clear vegetation.

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 My Journey 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