A major route into Wokingham, Easthampstead Road at the level crossing, closed on Monday 13 April and will stay shut until 2027 while work on the South Wokingham Distributor Road continues.
Close to the railway, Thames Water pipes feeding a sewage outfall must be replaced and new underground electricity installed before the carriageway can be rebuilt. The long-term closure affects the stretch between Star Lane and Heathlands Road, where the council is building a new signal-controlled junction and carrying out complex drainage and utility works.
Diversions are in place: northbound traffic will use Old Wokingham Road, Waterloo Road, William Heelas Way and the A329, with the reverse for southbound journeys. Once a new link road opens at the end of May, diversions will switch to that route.
Businesses on Easthampstead Road, including Holme Grange Craft Village, remain open and can be reached from the south via Heathlands Road, Nine Mile Ride or Honey Hill. There will be no pedestrian access through the work site during the closure.
The new junction will give safer access for traffic serving hundreds of new homes in South Wokingham. The Star Lane level crossing will stay open once works finish, though it will close temporarily during construction. The council says it aims to complete the link road as quickly as possible to minimise disruption.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
