Road near to Berkshire beauty spot to be closed for a year
Cracks in the road surface will require extensive repairs near to Finchampstead Ridges
Last updated 16th Apr 2021
The Ridges in Finchampstead will be closed for up to a year to repair a collapsed section of road. A closure has been in place since last month after a section of the road began to collapse.
The road is close to the National Trust land at Finchampstead Ridges.
After extensive assessment by engineers on behalf of Wokingham Borough council, work to carry out repairs will likely take place later this year, between the Finchampstead war memorial and Dell Road. The road is next to a steep hill, which is moving and could cause the road to collapse further. The road is completely closed and should be avoided until repairs are made when the road will reopen.
The council has begun further investigations into the collapse and will continue these over the next few months. These will look at underlying road structure, drainage systems in the area and underlying earth structure in the area. The council say fixing the road is not straightforward and requires extensive investigation and potential repair.
Work will then begin to assess options and create a detailed design to provide a permanent solution to the issues which caused the collapse. But it might not be until Spring next year before it the road can open again.
Diversion
A road closure has been put in place between the junction with Jubilee Road, near the Finchampstead war memorial, and the Lower Wokingham Road/Wellingtonia Avenue roundabout. The diversion route is Lower Wokingham Road, Nine Mile Ride, Finchampstead Road and Jubilee Road, or this route in reverse. Access will be maintained for residents living in the area.
Concrete blocks have been installed around the dangerous area to ensure no vehicles can pass along it. Lower Sandhurst Road, Dell Road and Cricket Hill have a width restriction to vehicles wider than six-foot and six-inches, which will be enforced while this closure is in place. This is to help tackle rat running in the area.
Andy Glencross, assistant director for highways, said:
“We have begun our surveys and technical assessments of the road and surrounding area as we look to get further information before designing and implementing a fix on the road. This will take time but the work being done now will ensure the long-term safety of the road and all those who use it. We will get the road open again as quickly as we can and once it is safe to do so as we know the closure will cause increased traffic on other roads in the surrounding area.”
Details of Finchapstead Ridges is here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/runnymede/features/finchampstead-ridges