Road investment
Wokingham Borough Council has revealed details of how the £1.177 million announced by the Government in November 2018 will be spent to improve the road network for drivers and cyclists across the borough.
A list of additional schemes in 2019 has been announced as well as a dedicated pothole budget to allow the council to address issues across the road network that develop during the winter.
Throughout the year the council surveys the highways network, through visual inspections, technical assessments and analysis. This information generates an annual road maintenance campaign, so the council can ensure investment goes where it is needed the most.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport said. “Our residents’ safety is our number one priority and we carry out essential maintenance work on the roads, throughout the borough, that most require our attention to keep our road network safe for all our road users.
“With more than 457 miles of road within our Borough to maintain, we are delighted to receive this additional funding from central government that will allow us to extend our annual road maintenance campaign. This funding will allow us to carry out work not just the main roads but also smaller residential roads that we have not had the funding to do before.
“We will also be allocating £113,000 to fix potholes to deliver additional improvements to our roads especially as a result the freezing cold conditions we have experienced recently”
This additional funding has been allocated by the council based not only on information provided in the usual condition surveys, undertaken as part of the annual road maintenance campaign, but also taking into consideration the deliverability of these projects within the timescales provided. It was also essential to consider any planned projects taking place within the surrounding areas to minimise both cost and disruption.
Road schemes
As a result of these consideration the council identified the following schemes.
- A329M Coppid Beech (Norreys) – resurfacing flyover
- Mereoak Lane/Grazeley Green Road (Shinfield South) – junction improvements
- Wilderness Road (Hillside) – drainage improvements
- Rushey Way (Hillside) – carriageway resurfacing
- Woodlands Avenue (Bulmershe and Whitegates) – carriageway resurfacing
- Safety fencing improvements across the borough
In addition to these works, a number of smaller estate roads within the borough are planned for micro asphalt resurfacing and the council hopes to deliver the programme towards the end of the year.
For further information about the council’s road maintenance campaign be or how you can report pothole visit www.wokingham.gov.uk and search ‘pothole’.
