A MAJOR road that has been closed since last autumn was reopened by Wokingham Borough’s mayor last Friday.
Cllr Malcolm Richards helped lead the celebrations as Nine Mile Ride in Finchampstead welcomed drivers once again.
Over the past eight months, South East Water has laid almost two miles of fresh pipework to create a new water main that will serve the residents as the community grows. The project covers supplies to Finchampstead Road, Gorse Ride South, Billing Avenue and Nine Mile Ride.
Cllr Richards said: “Drinking water is an essential resource which we all need and these improvements will help conserve water and avoid leaks.
“I’m glad South East Water is set to complete this £1.4 million project on schedule and I know residents in the area will reap the rewards for years to come.”
And the completion has also been welcomed by South East Water.
Jeremy Dufour, its project manager, said: “This has been a very challenging project and I would like to thank everyone who has helped along the way.
“I would also like to extend my thanks to the residents and motorists who may have been impacted by these works. We know road closures can cause disruption so we really appreciate the patience shown since the project began last summer.”
The project also replaced part of the old pipeline which had become prone to bursting.
“While we were installing the new water main we took the opportunity to replace some of the aging sections of main which were already in the road,” Mr Dufour continued.
“This will help us to ensure we can minimise the disruption caused to customers through burst water mains.
“We have a small section of work to complete, close to California Rate Payers’ Hall, which will take place this week.
“This final section will cause minimal disruption to residents and, once finished, will mark the end of this project.”
This scheme forms part of South East Water’s £424 million investment between 2015 and 2020. The water company says it will invest a further £433 million into improving its network between 2020 and 2025.
Residents can keep tabs on future planned work in the area by visiting South East Water’s interactive map at: inyourarea.digdat.co.uk/SouthEastWater
