READING Borough Council has announced the beginning of the next phase of its extensive road improvement plan.
Over 100 residential roads will be resurfaced in the borough over the next 10 weeks as the next phase of an £8m investment continues.
Beginning in 2023, the plan it is now set to see 106 residential roads resurfaced, starting with Heatherden Close, Farrowdene Road, and Byworth Close.
Work will start on those roads on Monday, February 3.
The sections of road being improved from next week will see temporary closures set out to ensure work can be carried out quickly and safely.
Temporary ‘no waiting at any time’ traffic orders will be in place to prevent parking on the road while the works are being undertaken.
Residents and businesses directly affected will see advance notices put out alerting them to the work, along with on-street closure notices and resident letters being posted through doors.
Motorists will need to follow the signed diversions but will be provided with access on an individual basis when it is safe to do so throughout the process, and bus diversions will be in place.
The council confirmed that 64 main roads that will receive resurfacing improvements this year, though when the work will begin is still to be decided.
These will be completed under the £4m major roads programme which forms half of the overall commitment by the council to comprehensive road improvements across the borough.
The council has already worked to reduce the number of potholes from 1,913 in 2021/22 to 1,168 in 2023/24– a reduction of nearly 40%.
It has also resurfaced more than 700 roads since 2019, bringing the number of residential roads classified as in ‘good’ condition up from 35% to 85%.
Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said:
“We know that a good standard of roads is something that residents regularly feed back as being a priority to them, and over the last five years we’ve taken huge steps in significantly bringing up the standard of our roads throughout Reading.
“This has been possible through Council-funded investments above and beyond government allocations.”
She explained: “An initial £9m road resurfacing programme, followed by the current £8m programme, which begins again next week, only confirms our commitment to responding to our residents in doing everything we can to give them better roads.
“The new programme will see over 100 residential roads resurfaced in under three months, alongside the major road improvement programme starting soon.
“Residents across the borough and all road users are set to share in the benefits of our work and commitment.”
The full list of roads set to be resurfaced can be found via: reading.gov.uk/roadimprovements
