Major road improvements for Newbury start 7 January

Press Release from West Berkshire Council - 
A major road improvement project for Newbury will start on 7 January 2019.
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The £1.8 million project, funded by developer’s contributions from the Newbury Racecourse development and Local Transport Plan capital grant funding recognises the need to create more capacity on the busy town centre network. The opportunity will be taken to resurface the roads during these works.
The works will take place in three phases (detailed below).
Phase 1
The introduction of traffic lights at the junction of the A339 and Cheap Street to allow traffic to turn right from the dual carriageway into Cheap Street. There will be off peak lane closures and pedestrian diversions.
Work starts 7 January 2019 and will complete in March2019.
Phase 2
Upgrading of Cheap Street junction with Market Street. This phase will include the removal of the existing pedestrian crossings and the installation of new traffic lights with pedestrian crossings. Traffic will no longer be allowed to turn into Cheap Street South and access to the railway station car park will be via the new A339/Cheap Street junction. Temporary traffic lights will be installed outside the Vue Cinema while the work is in progress.
Work starts March 2019 and completes in May 2019.
Phase 3
Upgrading of the Sainsbury’s roundabout and traffic light system. Traffic will no longer be allowed to turn off the roundabout into Bear Lane and will instead be routed via the new A339/Cheap Street junction.
There will be off peak lane closures.
Work starts May 2019 and completes in September 2019.
Jeanette Clifford, West Berkshire’s Executive Member for Highways and Transport said, “This is a large but vital project. Our town centre roads are extremely busy and we must not only create more capacity, but keep them in good order, and we now have the finance in place to do this. However, it will take the best part of next year to complete. The works are phased and resurfacing will take place at night to minimise disruption. We ask that motorists bear with us during the works which, ultimately, will prove great long term benefits for the town.”
 Keep up to date with this project at www.westberks.gov.uk/A339