FOR MONTHS, it’s looked like the worst road in Reading for potholes, but the nightmare is over.
Sidmouth Street is a major route for people from East Reading to cross town. Motorists have to drive along it from London Road to reach the IDR to take them to Caversham, Tilehurst or beyond.
Although one lane has been turned into a cycle lane to encourage people to get on their bikes, the other has resembled the surface of the moon, with some pretty impressive craters in it.
Last week, as part of a £9 million programme, Reading Borough Council resurfaced the road, causing traffic misery for motorists over four days.
In all, 150 different roads are being treated between now and the end of 2022. Sidmouth Street is among the first batch, which will be completed by the end of the month. Work then resumes after winter. And a further 176 roads will be given a makeover by 2023.
The roads are being treated by micro-asphalt, which the council says is quick to apply, causes less disruption and has a lower carbon footprint. It’s also a cost-effective way to prolong the life of a road.
A council spokesperson said: “Reading Borough Council is investing £9m over three years in road resurfacing improvements, with hundreds of roads being resurfaced by the end of 2023. Sidmouth Street is scheduled to be resurfaced on Wednesday and Thursday.”
For the other roads, Reading Borough Council is promises that residents and businesses in affected areas will receive letters ahead of the works starting, and when the teams arrive to do the resurfacing, they will be in action from 8am to 5pm.
Announcing the plans, the council’s lead member for strategic environment, planning and transport, Cllr Tony Page, said: “This is a really positive step for Reading’s road users, be they cyclists, drivers or people taking public transport.
“We know the quality of roads is an important issue for residents from the feedback we’ve received, which is why we’re taking on such an ambitious project and investing £9m to make widespread improvements across the Borough.
“Alongside our pavement resurfacing project to benefit pedestrians, we’re doing everything we can to help ensure journeys around Reading are smoother than ever.
“We thank residents for their patience while works take place, which will inevitably result in some disruption, and look forward to them being able to enjoy improved road surfaces.”
The roads that will be resurfaced:
North
Albert Road (full extent); Hemdean Road (from Oakley Rd to Sheridan Avenue); Peppard Road (from Kiln Road to Cavendish Road); St Anne’s Road (full extent); Woodcote Road (junction area with Highmoor Road)
East
Elm Road (from Shinfield Road to borough boundary); Erleigh Road (Addington Road to Alexandra Road); Palmer Park Avenue (Wokingham Rd to borough boundary); Vicarage Road (full extent); Whiteknights Road (Eastern Avn to borough boundary); Wokingham Road (from Holmes Road to Melrose Avenue)
South
Basingstoke Road (from Christchurch Road to Elgar Road South); Christchurch Gardens (full extent); Christchurch Road (from Basingstoke Road to Sutherlands Avenue); Pell Street (from Elgar Road to Sherman Road); Shinfield Road (from Whitley Wood Road to Elm Road); Whitley Street (from Southampton Street to Christchurch Rd Roundabout)
West
Bath Road (from Burghfield Road to Hogarth Avenue); Bedford Road (from junction with Oxford Road to Chatham Street); Beresford Road (full extent); Berkeley Avenue (from Ashley Road to Esso Petrol Station); Kentwood Hill (full extent) Liebenrood Road (full extent); Little John’s Lane (from Portman Road to Loverock Road); Oxford Road (from Beresford Road to Russell Street); Oxford Road (from Shaftesbury Road to Gordon Place); Park Lane (from Chapel Hill to 50 metres west of Mayfair); Portman Road (from Bridgewater Close for 500 metres eastbound); Scours Lane (Oxford Road to Stadium Way); Southcote Road (full extent); Trafford Road (full extent); Upton Road (full extent); Water Road (from Tilehurst Road to Windrush Way)
Central
Coley Avenue (from Berkeley Avenue to Castle Hill); Eaton Place (full extent); Forbury Road (from King’s Road to Kenavon Drive – northbound only); George Street (full extent); IDR (from A329 southbound exit towards Castle Street); IDR (from A329 eastbound exit towards Bridge Street); Russell Street (from Castle Street to Tilehurst Road); Tilehurst Road (from Russell Street to Western Elms Avenue); Sidmouth Street (from London Road to Queen’s Road)
