News

Five weeks of roadworks begin on A329

By Laura Herbert
November 19, 2012

Work to improve a busy junction in Earley began last Monday.

The improvements to the A329 Three Tuns junction, which are due to take five weeks, are one of the first schemes to be rolled out across the borough thanks to a £2.75 million grant from the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF).

The scheme will ease congestion, improve walking and cycling access and offer travel plans for people and businesses and improved bus services and cycling initiative.

The work will include the installation of an ‘intelligent’ traffic light system which will react to real time traffic flows and automatically adjust to reduce congestion through the junction.

The lights use low energy LEDs, meaning less maintenance is needed and are therefore cheaper to operate.

The work is due to be carried out during off-peak times, but four-way traffic lights will be in use during morning and evening rush hours.

Contractors will also be on site during the first two weekends to minimise the risk of work overrunning.

Councillor Keith Baker, executive member for highways and planning at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “We recognise residents have already experienced an exceptional level of disturbance from utility companies. The council is in constant communication with these utilities about any future work planned in this area, to ensure we all work together to minimise disruption to residents.

“We apologise for any inconvenience you may experience. Please be patient with us.

“These works are temporary and in the long term they will make your journeys much better along this vital route.

He added: “All of the schemes under the LSTF are exciting developments because they will directly contribute to the economic wellbeing of our local companies as well as change the way our residents travel around the borough.”

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Most recent user comments 13 of 13

So Councillor Baker is now having a play with traffic lights having granted planning consents for a lot more houses and no new road infrastructure. Doing a Councillor Payne immitation. I was taught you could only improve a traffic light junction by increasing the storage capacity approaching the lights which this scheme miserably fails to do although buying a bit of land to do so with the builder's yard vacant and the end shop closed down would not be difficult. But then WBC never ever fulfill the role of a proper highway authority, just go for the 'simple' cheap solution. Great pity.

Bingley, Woodley
21/11/2012 at 14:10

I was stuck in the queue from Wokingham last week and again today for over 10 mins (poss 15 mins) on each occassion when lights where staying on red when the other three options kept getting their chance. Cars from Wok direction started going over on red and then finally they changed to green - but only 4 cars got over.

Rat run of Kenton Road, Silverdale Road, Wilderness Road far quicker.

Wake up councillors!!

come on lads
20/11/2012 at 12:57

How about installing these 'intelligent' traffic lights at the Honey End Lane junction on the Meadway?! If you're coming up Honey End Lane and want to get onto the Meadway, you're lucky if you make it 3 car lengths!

Miss Merry, The 'ding
19/11/2012 at 15:24

@graywok

"I wish the planners would assess the consequences of their actions based on reality rather than theoretical traffic models"

From the article:

"which will react to real time traffic flows"

I'm not sure what data you are basing your opinion on, but Winnersh Cinema Junction is a particularly apt choice because intelligent flow is (I assume, in this case) *not* single-point focused. For example, as the Winnersh Cinema junction is capable of heavy traffic flow into roads which may be less capable (the junction past the pub, notably) then it may specifically reduce flow at the more capable area to reduce build-up at the less capable area in order to prevent a bottle-neck. It may seem overtly like unnecessary waiting, but the effect overall is improvement. This can be true across a considerable distance and reactive changes can amplify the benefits further.

DX C
19/11/2012 at 14:50

The lights were fine as they were. Well done WBC for more pointless traffic chaos.

Big D
19/11/2012 at 14:07

Those light always seemed to work quite well from what I could see which is obviously why they're changing that!

Grumpy Dad,Lower Earley, Reading
19/11/2012 at 14:05

This is more a case of WBC saying let’s pick a set of lights furthest away from us that will have the biggest effect and problems for Reading residents

And b**** them up – again – as its a set that was changed only a little while ago ‘’to improve them’’ at that time

Does that mean they got them wrong back then?

A Concerned Local, Reading
19/11/2012 at 13:19

What the f*** is a 'travel plan'????

Common Cents, Reading
19/11/2012 at 13:01

I am reluctant to trust traffic systems that are so called ' intelligent'. The more sophisticated and complex they become the worse they get for real world driving or walking or cycling come to that.

Winnersh Cinema junction being an example in question. More free flowing for cars better when the lights are broken. When walking or cycling its preferable to short cut the 'planned' option as its just not intuitive. I wish the planners would assess the consequences of their actions based on reality rather than theoretical traffic models.

graywok, Woosehill
19/11/2012 at 12:46

"The scheme will ease congestion, improve walking and cycling access and offer travel plans for people and businesses and improved bus services and cycling initiative."

Did anyone else read this as "we will be looking to create as much traffic as possible, we don't want people to be able to drive anywhere".... or was that just me?

Bruce Wayne
19/11/2012 at 10:45

I like the way that this is reported a week after it started! I suspect we will be getting Santa stories in January!!

Smiffy, Reading
19/11/2012 at 10:38

Just as they finish Wilderness Road they start this.Been a nightmare getting anywhere round here for months.

Grumpy Dad,Lower Earley, Reading
19/11/2012 at 10:25

"The work will include the installation of an ‘intelligent’ traffic light system which will react to real time traffic flows and automatically adjust to reduce congestion through the junction." So more dodgy induction loops then ....