Travel chaos is set to ease as the development of a major new road nears completion, Wokingham Borough Council has announced. 

Built to serve a new homes development, large sections of the much anticipated 1km carriageway, to the west of Old Forest Road, opened to drivers on Monday, May 9 – along with an upgraded stretch of Old Forest Road and Toutley Road.  

The carriageway, which runs from the A329 Reading Road roundabout to a new junction with Old Forest Road, is part of the North Wokingham Distributor Road development (NWDR) – designed to provide access to new housing developments and minimise the subsequent impact of increased traffic.  

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Several road closures took place throughout the project, including a full closure of Toutley Road for much of last year, causing much inconvenience to drivers. 

Assistant director for planning and delivery at the council, Trevor Saunders, said: “We know there was some disruption locally while the work was carried out, so we’d also like to thank anybody who was affected for their patience and understanding.  

“Now that it is complete, we hope our residents and businesses will see the benefits for many years to come.” 

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The new section of the distributor road contains a cycle path to encourage ‘active travel,’ improve local cycling and walking links and reduce the number of vehicle journeys. 

Both roads were built by Balfour Beatty, with the only remaining section still to be completed being a 550m stretch between Bell Foundry Lane and Dalley Road. 

Work on this finished last year, although it isn’t ready to open due to the high volume of construction traffic from new homes being built on an adjoining section of the road. The council is currently seeking confirmation of the opening date from the contractor, which will be announced in due course. 

When fully complete, the NWDR will run from the A329 Reading Road to the west of Wokingham town, near the M4 over-bridge, to the A329 London Road in the east – including Queens Road, Bell Foundry Lane, Diamond Jubilee Way and Oak Avenue.

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Portfolio director for Balfour Beatty, Chris Hall, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our teams, who worked determinedly over many months to make this a reality and the results speak for themselves. 

“This new section of road will be a major asset to the community, as is the beautiful nature park which has been created alongside it.” 

The NWDR is part of the council’s £250 million investment in new roads, in accordance with its Local Plan. It is also investing in congestion-cutting measures, such as sensory traffic lights and electronic message signs to warn of upcoming delays.