 New link road now open for all users
A new link road between Easthampstead Road and Waterloo Road in Wokingham is now open as part of the South Wokingham Distributor Road project.
This creates a new route from the southern outskirts of Wokingham to William Heelas Way, through the Montague Park estate, London Road and beyond.
The link road has a 30mph limit, with a shared footway and cycleway (above).
It will connect to the central section of the South Wokingham Distributor Road when this is fully built, which is expected to be in early 2027.
Easthampstead Road remains closed to all users between Star Lane, to the north of the level crossing, and just north of Heathlands Road.
This is while our partners at Balfour Beatty build a three-way junction where the new distributor road crosses Easthampstead Road to the south of the railway line.
This scheme will enable access to new homes and infrastructure and is being paid for by developers with initial forward funding from the Government.
 Overnight closure pushed back after water emergency
We've rearranged our planned surfacing on Barkham Road near Wokingham to ensure they didn't clash with unexpected emergency works.
Our works were due to take place with an overnight closure this week (Monday 1 to Saturday 6 June) as part of our annual roads and footways maintenance.
However, South East Water (SEW) had to close part of Barkham Road, near Wokingham Community Hospital, for emergency repairs on Monday and their diversion for HGVs and buses would have clashed with ours.
This would have put too much pressure on the network, especially given Thames Water's ongoing closure of Bearwood Road for essential water pipe upgrades.
Our works will now run overnight (7pm to 6am) from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 June. We're working with SEW to help them wrap up as soon as possible.
 Expect some closures as pylon repairs progress
Following damage to a pylon off Hatch Farm Way in Winnersh earlier this year, SSEN are now working over the summer to reinstate it.
Their crews have permission to manage the traffic when needed, as well as the shared footway and cycleway, and this may include some brief closures.
The repairs are expected to finish in September and SSEN have promised to do all they can to keep disruption to a minimum
Part of Park Lane in Finchampstead is closed due to a fault in the road, caused by previous works to gas pipes beneath it. The site has been handed over to SGN, who are expected to finish repair works before Monday, 15 June.
 Above: one of about 70 entries into last month's Sonning Scarecrows event
Helping communities get together and celebrate
Most road closures in the borough aren't due to our works, but other companies carrying out essential maintenance to utilities that we all rely on.
And in some cases, closures and diversions are there to keep people safe during events which benefit the whole community and beyond.
We recently closed Sonning Lane in Sonning to support the village's two-day scarecrow trail and classic car show, which takes place every two years.
Thousands of people routinely attend, with dozens of households creating eye-catching artworks, and it raises money for fantastic local causes.
Similar arrangements are in place for Remembrance and Christmas events across the borough, the Wokingham May Fayre and loads more.
There'll be closures in the Remenham area throughout this summer for a series of major events in Henley-on-Thames, including the world-famous royal regatta.
We'll look at those in detail nearer the time. You can find out more by checking our interactive map and live roadworks listings.
Out of 777 roadworks permits we issued in May, over 72 per cent were utility works - and over 17 per cent were unplanned emergencies. This is typical for us, and other councils generally, as we legally we have to approve reasonable applications. We'll be taking a more in-depth look at this soon.
 image courtesy of Fusion Extreme
Thrills and stunts at summer cycle festival
A national BMX stunt team will be among the main attractions at our first ever Wokingham Cycle Festival on Sunday, 28 June.
Fusion Extreme (above) will wow onlookers at the event, which we're holding as part of this year's annual Wokingham Bikeathon, and offer taster sessions.
Run by a committee of volunteers, the Bikeathon takes place at Cantley Park, with a choice of four routes to suit everyone, between 17 and 50 miles.
There's drink stops and toilets on all routes, and you can bring your family or ride with friends. There'll also be refreshments and stalls run by local groups.
It's a fantastic day out for all the family and we're happy to be supporting it in an even bigger way than ever.
From 8.30am to 2pm, we'll also be offering:
- Learn to Ride and Balance Bike activities
- Free bike checks with Dr Bike (advance booking needed)
- Prize spinning wheel and smoothie bike
- Sustainable travel advice and materials
The festival is free to attend, though a fee applies to register for the Bikeathon. Proceeds benefit a range of local charities and good causes.
If you want to learn more about maintaining a bike, our next course at St Paul's Parish Room in Wokingham is just £12 and covers the basics. It runs from 10.30am to 1.30pm next Saturday (13 June) and booking is required. There's also a course at Winnersh Community Centre on Sunday 21 June.
 Above: a street in the borough shortly after being surface dressed
Looking after your roads and footways
As part of our annual maintenance programme, we'll be closing roads and footways across the borough throughout the summer to keep them in good shape.
You can see the full list for 2026/27 on our website but closures are already under way this week, with many more to follow next week.
Most of the upcoming closures are for surface dressing works, where we seal the carriageway with layers of bitumen and chippings.
This is a cost-effective alternative to a full resurfacing, allowing us to invest our limited resources where they're most needed.
Crucially, a surface dressing is unlikely to leave the road looking level or visually improved once it settles - but that doesn't mean it isn't working.
While existing flaws may remain visible, the treatment seals any cracks and stops water getting in, which causes further damage and contributes to potholes.
We inspect maintenance treatments throughout the 12 months afterwards, and order repairs under warranty if they aren't up to standard. Surface dressings are approved by the Government, and they're better for the environment as they produce fewer carbon emissions.
 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.
Earley
Temporary lights - Mill Lane / Gypsy Lane
Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 June
There'll be multi-way lights on Mill Lane and Gypsy Lane while we carry out drainage maintenance to ensure flood resilience.
Spencers Wood
Temporary lights - Basingstoke Road
Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 June
There'll be two-way lights at the junction of Barracks Lane while Thames Water repair a water main connection.
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
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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
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