Water mains upgrade close to completing phase
With our support and oversight, Thames Water are now well ahead of schedule as they replace an ageing mains pipe on Barkham Road, part of which remains closed.
Since mid-September, Thames Water's crews have laid 380m of the 461m section between Bearwood Road and Barkham Street. By tomorrow (9 October) crews are expected to reach Barkham Street roundabout.
From Monday (12 October) the scheme will start to transition into phase 4, with the road closure moving west of the roundabout between Barkham Street and Barkham Bridge.
Two-way traffic lights will be installed at Barkham Street roundabout as part of this move. The road closure between Barkham Street and Bearwood Road will remain in place while the final works, reinstatement and road markings are completed.
Extra teams working on site mean Thames Water are due to complete phase 3 in five weeks, rather than the 12 weeks originally planned .
Given the complexity of the works and the sensitive location, we're grateful to Thames Water for working to finish this phase as quickly as possible, recognising the impact this closure has had on residents, businesses and road users.
Impact of other works can't always be avoided
In recent weeks, disruption from Thames Water's closure has been compounded by other works and we're sorry this has added to your frustration.
In some cases, there were faults in water or electricity supplies which had to be fixed under temporary lights to ensure homes didn't lose an essential service.
When this happens, we have a legal duty to help restore the connection.
Additionally, we recently finished clearing roadside drainage just outside Arborfield Green as part of a borough-wide effort to reduce winter flooding risks.
We'll be looking more closely at this programme, and our winter preparations more generally, in future editions.
Thames Water are replacing a trunk main serving the Arborfield area, which is now at the end of its working life. They'll be working westwards in stages along Barkham Road and Langley Common Road until mid-2027.
Click or tap to play
VIDEO: Greener and more cost-effective repairs
We're trialling a new, quieter way of fixing road damage that allows us to soften and reshape the existing carriageway instead of using all new materials.
This award-winning technique uses a special machine that heats the surface to just the right temperature for us to break it up and smooth it out with hand tools.
We add a much smaller amount of bitumen and aggregate, then roll the treated patch, with the heat bonding it to the surrounding road without a joint.
A three-person crew can work quickly, reshaping and rolling one section while their machine heats the next one up. Watch it in action now.
Each repair uses about 90 per cent of the existing carriageway material, so it's far less wasteful than digging up and replacing a damaged section.
The thermal machine is partly solar powered, with some power from liquified gas, and works only need a single lane closure due to its small size.
Work to repair Swallowfield Bridge has also been completed this week, ahead of schedule.
We used thermal patching on site during the closure to make the most of an opportunity to do work which would require a separate closure.
Above: before (left) and after (right) a thermal road repair is carried out
Using resources wisely and more effectively
While we do resurface (video) some damaged roads, this has a higher cost and must be kept for where it's needed most.
Like all councils, we face financial pressures and have to find more efficient ways of working to ensure our resources go further.
Our partners at VolkerHighways use a range of alternatives like surface dressing (video), footway sealing and retexturing (video) of worn surfaces.
Volker inspect the network all year round and look into your reports, allowing us to jointly prioritise the areas needing most attention.
You rarely see the M4 deserted, but Wokingham Aerial Photography captured some stunning images when SSEN shut it to reinstate overhead power lines. Read more about the works which were successfully completed last month.
Click or tap the diagram above to see the full-sized version
Footbridge to shut for maintenance this month
We're closing our footbridge at Earley station, above, which crosses the railway and A3290 to Woodley, for essential works from Monday (19 October) until April 2027.
This is a like-for-like maintenance to the same dimensions as now, with several parts refurbished to extend its working life as they are in poor condition.
We'll be setting up a compound at the station car park, so no parking will be available though the parcel collection and charity drop boxes will be accessible on foot.
The nearest alternative crossings are the underpass at Henley Wood Road, or cross the railway at Mays Lane and the A3290 at Church Road.
We're going to repair broken lighting at the underpass, install mirrors and improve the overall surface, and we're looking at the possibility of further measures.
The nearest car park is at Winnersh Triangle Park and Ride, next to Winnersh Triangle station. Both stations are served by the Lion 4/4A bus with stops in either direction on Wokingham Road, which has a cycle lane.
Most works will take place in the daytime to minimise disruption, though some overnight works are needed over the railway and A3290.
Working quickly and looking at future alternatives
We'll review all opportunities to finish earlier but this is limited by complexity, weather dependence, safety and the need to work with outside bodies like Network Rail.
Our assessment identified refurbishment as the best option because it offers a far lower cost and completion risk, and a shorter timeframe, than total replacement.
There are major obstacles to changing the design, including the fact that a high pressure gas main runs underneath the access ramps.
However, we completely understand that a long-term solution for managing access across the A3290 and railway may be needed in the future.
We're exploring options with landowners and infrastructure operators while progressing these repairs to allow an existing route to continue being safely used.
REMINDER: Network Rail are closing Warren Road bridge in Woodley on Monday (12 October) until April 2028 to stabilise Sonning Cutting. Meanwhile, part of Culver Lane in Earley is now closed until Monday 16 November while we continue work on our active travel route from Woodley to Reading.
Getting to Twyford station more sustainably
We've launched a new leaflet to show people how to travel more sustainably to Twyford station, which we handed out to passengers at a recent event.
The leaflet shows walking and cycling distances on a map, with links to bus timetables and other useful information promoting alternatives to driving.
Earlier this year, we worked with Great Western Railway (GWR) to make parking and access improvements.
GWR has designed a car park expansion to provide 50 more spaces, subject to Government funding this will be built from April 2027. We're also working with GWR and others in the community to find additional sites for future car parking.
This follows extensive improvements to the station building at the end of 2025, made with input from Twyford Parish Council and others.
We're exploring further solutions to long-standing concerns about parking at Twyford station, although these have their own challenges. This includes a new bus service to the station and investigating options for new cycle links.
With fuel prices rising, Reading Buses are reminding you to travel for cheaper using discount fares or with the Government's £3 fare cap. You can also get discounts with sister operator Thames Valley Buses or with Carousel Buses.
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.
Hare Hatch
Road closed - Tag Lane
Monday 12 October to Friday 5 February
The road will be closed between Bath Road and Blakes Lane so Thames Water can renew the water main.
Remenham
Road closed - Remenham Lane
Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 October
The road will be closed outside the Little Angel pub while CityFibre carry out fibre optic installation work.
Temporary lights - Henley Bridge
Monday 12 to Wednesday 14 October, 6pm to 6.30am
There'll be multi-way lights near the junction with Remenham Lane while CityFibre carry out fibre optic installation work.
Wokingham
Temporary lights - Easthampstead Road
Monday 12 to Friday 16 October, 9.30am to 4pm
There'll be two-way lights near the junction with Southlands Road so SSEN can carry out investigative works.
Temporary lights - Langborough Road
Monday 12 to Friday 16 October, 9.30am to 4pm
There'll be multi-way lights between the junctions with Howard Road and Crescent Road so SSEN can carry out investigative works.
Please note only one of these sets of lights will be in operation at a time.
Keeping up to date
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