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A MAJOR new road in Wokingham is almost complete after the penultimate sections opened.
On Monday, May 9, a one-kilometre section with a railway bridge to the west of Old Forest Road, and an upgraded section of Toutley Road to the east, opened as part of the North Wokingham Distributor Road
The road is being built to serve new homes in the area and relieve congestion in Wokingham town.
Both sections were constructed by Wokingham Borough Council’s contractor Balfour Beatty.
The works included installing a 45 metre bridge crossing the railway line off Old Forest Road and realigning part of the existing Toutley Road to include an improved crossing over the Ashridge Stream.
This new section of the distributor road has an off-road cycle path to encourage active travel, improve local cycling and walking links and reduce the number of vehicle journeys on the wider network.
The infrastructure is funded by contributions from developers building new housing in the borough.
The works also created a new green space at Old Forest Meadows, which is already open to the public. It includes a 1.7 kilometre circular footpath walk along the Emm Brook.
Several road closures were needed throughout the project, including a full closure of Toutley Road for much of last year.
Trevor Saunders, assistant director for planning and delivery at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “Many thanks to our in-house project team and the team at Balfour Beatty for their hard work in completing this technically complex project.
“We know there was some disruption locally while the work was carried out, so we’d also like to thank anybody who was affected for their patience and understanding.
“Now that it is complete, we hope our residents and businesses will see the benefits for many years to come.”
The North Wokingham Distributor Road will run from the A329 Reading Road to the west of Wokingham town, near the M4 overbridge, to the A329 London Road in the east, near Coppid Beech roundabout, and also includes Queens Road, Bell Foundry Lane, Diamond Jubilee Way and Oak Avenue.
The only remaining section is a 550 metre stretch between Bell Foundry Lane and Dalley Road, which also includes a 4.5-hectare open space with two ponds, footpaths and wildlife habitats.
Work on this finished last year although it isn’t ready to open due to the high volume of construction traffic from new homes being built on an adjoining section of the road.
A spokesperson for the council said they are working closely with the developer to confirm an opening date and will announce this as soon as possible.
