MORE THAN 100 roads in Reading could be set for major repairs as the council announces a further £8 million investment in travel infrastructure.
After completing a road improvement programme constituting £9 million in investment on highways, the proportion of residential roads in Reading which are in good condition has also risen from 35% to 80%.
Now the council has announced proposals for a further investment of £8 million will see residential roads in the town, set to be discussed at a committee meeting next Wednesday, February 21.
It has published a report outlining plans to assess and resurface up to 105 such roads in the town as well as work on improving pavements, bridges, and other structures.
New tech has also allowed the assessment of which works are required to be streamlined, with scanning and video surveys having been submitted to the council to help advise them which roads are most in need.
It follows a survey in 2023 which showed that around a third of residents wanted to see further improvements to the roads in Reading, as well as repairs to pavements.
Improvements will be in line with RBC’s commitment to reduce carbon as they propose to continue the carbon offsetting seen with previous programmes through the continued planting of trees and the use of low-carbon resurfacing materials.
Efforts such as the use of fully-electric line painting machines and cold-applied paint will also contribute to reduction in carbon emissions.
The council has published a report detailing its plans through 2025, which show that around £3.75m will be allocated for road resurfacing, as well as a further £650,000 in pavement repairs, and £350,000 on carbon reduction and offsetting measures.
This will be complimented by a £4m investment from the government for bridge and structural improvements.
The council will also receive an additional £7.7m of funding from the Department for Transport as part of its re-allocation of High-Speed Rail (HS2) budgets.
Karen Rowland, lead councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said: “I’m delighted that the momentum we’ve built up in tackling our residents’ number one concern for improved roads is continuing.
“The proportion of residential roads classified as being in “good condition” has risen sharply from 35% to 80% which shows that our investment has been overwhelmingly successful.
She explained: “Consequently there has also been a noticeable reduction in the number of actionable potholes since the programme commenced, but we intend to make further advancements by improving the quality of Reading’s roads for residents.
“This will be achieved through exploring innovations with new lower carbon road surfacing techniques and materials.
“I’m proud of the fact that our Highways team has won awards for improving our roads in a manner that simultaneously drives forward innovation in reaching our ambitious Net Zero Carbon pledge by 2030. Our roads are already showing that difference.”
The report is set to be discussed at the Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee on Wednesday, February 21.
The full report of proposals is available to view via: democracy.reading.gov.uk
