New relief road opens in Berkshire
The Winnersh relief road is designed to take pressure off the 'Sainsbury's crossroads'
The final phase of a major new road in Winnersh has opened to traffic for the first time.
Wokingham Borough Council has unveiled a relief road around Winnersh to relieve an already congested junction.
After consulting with the public the council made a number of changes including moving one of the two new roundabouts on Reading Road, changes to pedestrian crossings, a new right turn lane into Sadler’s Lane and a modification to the positioning of a traffic island opposite Green Lane.
The council say the WRR is an important step towards putting the infrastructure in place to improve the resilience of Wokingham borough’s road network by helping to relieve the existing congestion through Winnersh. The road will also form a continuation of the North Wokingham Distributor Road (NWDR) and provide an alternative route around the borough for non-local traffic travelling through the area once the final phase of the NWDR opens next year (2022).
Mark Cupit, assistant director delivery and infrastructure said:
“The opening of this road is an incredible milestone for the borough, and I would like to thank everyone involved along the way. The project has been successfully completed despite having the disruption of a global pandemic.
“We have seen a lot of change in recent years, through the development of new communities and we are committed to ensuring we build the right infrastructure in the right places. The council is investing £1billion in new schools, community and leisure facilities, parks and open spaces and roads to ensure our new communities have what they need to thrive. This final phase of the Winnersh Relief Road is a key piece of the puzzle to help relieve the congestion we have at the Winnersh Sainsbury’s crossroads.”
The new road extends Longdon Road and connects the A329 Reading Road, via a new roundabout, to the B3030 King Street Lane, taking traffic away from the main Winnersh crossroads. Further works will continue on Reading Road as part of the new junction for Old Forest Road.
Vehicles can no longer turn right from Longdon Road onto King Street Lane or from King Street Lane onto Hatch Farm Way.