THE re-opening date for a Wokingham town centre road hit by the regeneration works has been announced by Wokingham Town Council. An area of Broad Street was closed last autumn to allow contractors to undertake excavation and utility work.
The closure has frustrated motorists and led to jams and delays across the borough.
But the end is finally in sight – the section by Boots and Costa Coffee will reopen to traffic on Friday, March 23.
The development was reported in a newsletter sent out by the town council.
At the same time, the stretch of Denmark Street by the town hall, WH Smith and the Edinburgh Woollen Mill will once again be closed to enable the second part of the regeneration works to be completed.
Much of the work now focuses on installing the new Yorkstone paving, and sections have now been completed giving visitors to the town centre a glimpse of what it will all be like when it’s completed.
The Broad Street section will see the pavement at the same level as the road, with some loading bays built in and the first of the new mosaic trail unveiled. This will be a tribute to the Heelas family and their original department store. Others will mark the annual firework display, the Market Charter of 1219 and a poppy for remembrance. Wokingham Methodist Church will have a display of mosaic fish on its exterior wall.
Although Broad Street now has a re-opening date, the completion date has now slipped back.
The newsletter from Wokingham Town Council notes: “At the moment, Balfour Beatty’s planned completion is July. Whilst this is later than envisaged and we know will be disappointing news it has proved impossible to recoup the delays that have been experienced in terms of the issues underground.”
However, all events including Sunny Saturday, the International Street Concert and the May Fayre will take place as usual and parts of Market Place will be reopened from early April. The market will also be relocated back into Market Place as soon as it is possible to do so.
“Throughout this period, Wokingham Borough Council Highways and Balfour Beatty will be continually assessing opportunities to recoup time and open up the site as soon as is feasible,” the newsletter notes.
The tree pits in Market Place have been installed and the first Hornbeam trees will be installed from next week, weather permitting. The pits have special structural cells to ensure roots can grow without disrupting the pavements and there are also plenty of nutrients needed. The semi-mature trees will be approximately 5 metres tall and grilles will be used to protect them during their first few years of growth.
