Residents of Earley were left shocked earlier this week to be told a busy road would close for roadworks during rush hours later this week – but Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) has clarified this was a mistake.
A letter to residents dated April 27 said Lower Earley Way West would be closed for works on Thursday, May 11 between 8am and 6pm. The road is a busy one, running parallel to the M4, close to slip roads onto the motorway at Junction 11.
The council has designated it a “traffic sensitive street”—which is used to label roads where works could be very disruptive and should take place outside of peak times.
In a post to Facebook, Conservative group leader on Wokingham borough Council, Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, said she had “escalated” the matter to the council’s Highways department as the closure “can’t be right and would cause havoc”.
Wokingham Borough Council have confirmed the closure will take place between 9.30am and 4pm.
They said: “I can confirm that Lower Earley Way West is considered a traffic sensitive road and that the timings on the original letter were incorrect. Our Streetworks Manager has already discussed this matter with Cllr Pauline Jorgensen and confirmed that the closure will be in place 9.30am to 4pm.
“This type of treatment, surface dressing, can only be completed during the day, so works will take place during the day but during off peak hours only.”
