Slow progress is being made on a major road south of Wokingham nearly three years after the project was given the go-ahead.
The South Wokingham Distributor Road is a highway that will run east to west, linking Waterloo Road to the roundabout for the Finchampstead Road Tesco Superstore.
Back in 2021, Wokingham Borough Council spent an estimated £1.75 million to buy 76A, 76B and 81 Finchampstead Road to demolish them to create space for the new road.
Some of the homes involved in the project have been demolished – 81, 83 and 85 Finchampstead Road have all been bulldozed so that an enhanced roundabout for Finchampstead Road and Molly Millars Lane.
The addresses 83 and 85 Finchampstead Road Wokingham Borough Council’s Family Resource Centre, which has been relocated to the Palm Centre in Rectory Road.
Meanwhile, 76A and 76B Finchampstead Road remain standing according to Google Maps imagery from September last year.
While parts of the demolition project have been completed, an aerial view of the planned route shows little progress on the rest of the route, with no work being done on the central section.
That’s because the council is busy trying to get the funds for the project.
Councilor David Davies (Conservative, Wokingham Without) said: “There was a forum held before Christmas attended by myself, my colleague cllr Pauline Heliar-Symons (Conservative, Wokingham Without) parish councillors and council officers, to talk about a number of things.
“We were told the borough council would at least move to contract sign by the end of 2024.
“Works could start before that this year.
“The council needs to get funding from Section 106 contributions, a loan to have the money to build the road.
“You need to conduct the orchestra appropriately.”
Council contractors have completed the Eastern Gateway of the South Wokingham Distributor Road, which starts at Montague Park, and takes William Heelas Way over the railway line to connect with a new roundabout that links with Waterloo Road.
Cllr Davies said: “The bridge was built which took an age. It’s not simple coordinating developers, which is why it has taken a while.
“It was historically challenging to co-ordinate the North Wokingham Distributor Road, so it’s not something I would slate the current administration for.
“I know they need to get this built to ease congestion in the town.”
Cllr Davies represents Wokingham Without, which is where the majority of the road will be built.
The project for the road was approved by the borough council’s planning committee in May 2021.
It has been designed to support the 1,649 homes that will be built within the South Wokingham major development.
This housing project will see urban Wokingham extended south of the Reading to Waterloo railway for the first time.
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