Council resurfacing project resumes with hundreds of roads to be improved by June

Up to 281 Reading roads are set to be improved over the next four months as the Council’s ambitious plan to enhance road quality for all users across the borough begins again this week.

The work will add to the 155 residential roads already completed under the comprehensive Highways £9m programme. This will bring the total number of residential roads improved over the three years to 436. 30 sections of major roads have also been resurfaced in the past year.

Thousands of residents will see the roads outside their houses change for the better in the coming months thanks to the continuation of the Council’s most intensive and biggest ever road improvement project that will see:

• 281 residential roads surfaced with micro-asphalt, starting on 8 February through to late April / early May
• 34 Pavements completed by the end of March
• The completion of the three-year £9m investment programme in road surfacing and footway improvements

Roads due to be resurfaced in the next phase

Quick to apply, micro-asphalt means less disruption to residents along with a low carbon footprint. It is also a cost-effective way of improving and prolonging the life expectancy of the road so major road repairs, which take longer and cause more disruption, are not needed.

For the residential road improvements, the key information for residents is:

• They will receive a letter in advance to notify them of the proposed works. Residents are asked to refer to the advance notice boards for exact dates.
• Roads will need to be closed from 8am – 5pm (in some cases 9.30am – 3.30pm) while the work is carried out. It will not be possible to park on the road during those hours.
• During the road closure residents’ vehicle access will only be available when it can be done safely; residents can liaise with site staff on this.
• Any parked vehicle obstructing the work will be liable for a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and will be removed.
• For a few weeks after the work, the treated roads will seem rough and gravelly whilst the material is left to settle, prior to the road being closed again temporarily so the contractor can return to sweep the road and paint the road markings to leave a smooth, completed surface, with ironworks adjusted where necessary.

Councillor Tony Page, Lead Member for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, said: “We committed three years ago to improving over 400 roads and footways in the borough through an investment of £9m. This was a bold and ambitious target set thanks to the Council listening to residents’ feedback about what was most important to them in their local area. I’m delighted that the project is nearing its conclusion and that between next week and the end of May we’ll have resurfaced another 281 roads to take the total completed under the project to 436. This will make a huge difference to the wide variety of people who rely on Reading’s road network including cyclists, drivers, pedestrians and public transport users. We thank residents for their patience in the short term whilst this work takes place – the end results will be worth it. Our new three-year budget announced last week also commits to a further £8m investment in hundreds more road improvements when this scheme finishes”.