M4 Junction 11 Improvements

Construction work on a major improvement scheme to upgrade Reading's main traffic gateway - junction 11 of the M4, started in mid 2008.

The £65million scheme will improve the motorway junction as well as surrounding roads, including the Mereoak roundabout and part of the A33 Swallowfield Bypass in Shinfield.

The project will eventually reduce congestion at the busy junction and increase public transport provision, pedestrian footways and cycle lanes.

Due to its size the project will be completed in stages, with all work expected to be finished by summer 2010.

Building Work

The first phase of building work on the southeast quadrant started in July 2008, following on from preparatory works, including construction of the site compound in Mereoak Lane, demolition of the Horseman Coaches and Thames Valley Police buildings in Whitley Wood and essential relaying of communication and utility cables in Shinfield.

Recycled glass to form base layers and foundations have already been put down and sustainable material from local companies has been delivered. This phase is expected to last until the end of 2008. An outline of future works can be seen on the attachment below under 'Maps of work areas with timescales'. Further details on these future phases will be available here at www.wokingham.gov.uk/junction11 prior to work starting.

The existing motorway junction will remain open throughout the works in order to minimise disruption, although there may be slip-road, local road and lane closures as well as footpath closures at various times as the scheme progresses. Alternative routes will be signed and, where possible, these closures will not take place during peak traffic hours.

Improvements

The project includes constructing a four-lane motorway junction with two new strategic road bridges around the existing motorway junction. The existing road bridges will be retained, with one solely for pedestrians and cyclists and the other for buses.

Two new signalised junctions south of the M4 at Mereoak, Shinfield, will also be constructed replacing the existing Three Mile Cross roundabout. A comprehensive landscaping scheme will be created to complement the scheme.

Reading Borough Council is working with the Highways Agency and Wokingham Borough Council on the scheme. Contractor, Laing O'Rourke Infrastructure, was appointed by Reading Borough Council in March 2008 to undertake the construction work. The Department for Transport released funding for the scheme in March 2008.

Major Traffic Flow Switch at Junction 11

A major switch in traffic flows around Junction 11 came into place on Tuesday May 11 as the £65 million improvement scheme nears completion. The change in traffic direction will affect motorists using the A33 to drive into Reading from the motorway junction. Vehicles will be diverted onto a new section of road around the roundabout, which then rejoins A33 and the normal route.

This new temporary route will be in place for a period of 12 weeks and will only affect traffic routes to Reading, Shinfield and Earley from the Motorway junction. All other traffic routes will be unaffected at this stage.

The new temporary route will be clearly signposted on black on yellow boards. All motorists are advised to look out for these boards, particularly over the first few days of the switch coming into effect. Traffic is expected to move more slowly as motorists follow the new directions. All drivers are asked to take extra care and expect journey times to increase slightly until the changes are bedded in.

Motorists are also being asked to be aware that pedestrians will be using new footways and crossing points and to take extra care.

Latest Changes to Traffic Flows

Work on Junction 11 is continuing to progress well, with new sections of road that will make up the improved new junction being completed. Because the busy junction has to remain open while work is taking place, it is necessary to change traffic flows at certain points during the project for work to continue.

From week commencing Monday March 8, motorists approaching the A33 Mereoak roundabout from either Basingstoke Road or Mereoak Lane will need to follow new directions.

Drivers approaching the roundabout from Three Mile Cross (Basingstoke Road) and wanting to travel north towards Reading will now need to turn left at the roundabout and use a new temporary roundabout on the A33 where drivers can `u turn' and then travel north towards Reading.

Similarly, drivers approaching the A33 Mereoak Roundabout from Mereoak Lane and wanting to travel south towards Basingstoke will be directed left up to the main Junction 11 roundabout where they can `u turn' and follow the A33 Southbound.

Drivers travelling northbound and southbound along the A33 can continue to cross the Mereoak junction as normal, however, the northbound right turn into Three Mile Cross will no longer be available requiring drivers to U-turn at junction 11.

These new temporary traffic flows are the next essential stage in a series of changes to help the construction of the new road layout.

Electronic signs warning drivers of the change will be put in place a few days before the change happens so that regular users of the junction will be aware. The variable message signs will then remain in place throughout this phase of the project.

Motorists who are not as familiar with the junction are also asked to take extra care to follow the correct signs during this period of work. Local businesses, schools and emergency services are all being given a map to ensure staff or parents are aware of the changes before they take place.

Finding Out More

Local residents and businesses, community groups and key stakeholders will be kept regularly updated throughout the works via newsletters, meetings and a dedicated customer care team on site. The customer care team can be contacted by calling 0845 241 7757 or emailing: m4@laingorourke.com

Public exhibitions in May and June 2008, which outlined the scheme, were attended by more than 1,000 people who wanted to find out more and ask questions on the project.

Further meetings will be arranged as the project progresses so local residents can keep up to speed on developments. Newsletters will also be sent out regularly and updates will be available.

For more information and to view plans of the improvements please download the documents below and view a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at the top right of the page.

Downloads

PDF

Some of the following documents are in pdf format. You can download and install a free PDF reader to enable you to read and print them. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Reader from the Adobe website.

File	Type	Size	Download Time
Latest J11 Traffic Flows - May 2010	PDF	372 KB	56Kbps Modem: 1 Minute Broadband : 7 Seconds
Latest J11 Traffic Flows - April 2010	PDF	19 KB	56Kbps Modem: 4 Seconds Broadband : 1 Second
Map - Changes to Traffic Routes from March 2010	PDF	22 KB	56Kbps Modem: 5 Seconds Broadband : 1 Second
M4 J11 Key Completion Dates May 2010	PDF	1,458 KB	56Kbps Modem: 6 Minutes Broadband : 29 Seconds
Map - Changes To Traffic Routes From December 2009	PDF	439 KB	56Kbps Modem: 1 Minute Broadband : 8 Seconds
M4 Junction 11 Improvements Plan	PDF	1,578 KB	56Kbps Modem: 6 Minutes Broadband : 32 Seconds
M4 Junction 11 Improvements Fact Sheet - issue 6	PDF	610 KB	56Kbps Modem: 2 Minutes Broadband : 12 Seconds
M4 Junction 11 Improvements Fact Sheet - issue 5	PDF	537 KB	56Kbps Modem: 2 Minutes Broadband : 10 Seconds
M4 Junction 11 Improvements Fact Sheet - issue 4	PDF	510 KB	56Kbps Modem: 2 Minutes Broadband : 10 Seconds
M4 Junction 11 Improvements Fact Sheet - issue 3	PDF	598 KB	56Kbps Modem: 2 Minutes Broadband : 12 Seconds
M4 Junction 11 Improvements Fact Sheet - issue 2	PDF	608 KB	56Kbps Modem: 2 Minutes Broadband : 12 Seconds
M4 Junction 11 Improvements Fact Sheet - issue 1	PDF	1,721 KB	56Kbps Modem: 7 Minutes Broadband : 35 Seconds