M4 improvement scheme criticised

The council hopes the scheme will allow more cars through the junction Enlarge Image

Plans to upgrade a notorious bottleneck on the M4 in Berkshire have been criticised as "a short-term fix" by a transport expert.

Dr Graham Crampton, from the University of Reading, said the £65m scheme to improve junction 11 in Reading would lead to more traffic.

He said that within years congestion would be as bad as now.

Reading Council declined to respond but earlier said the work would create a "safer junction for everyone".

The project includes building a four-lane motorway junction with two road bridges around the existing junction and is set to be finished in the summer of 2010.

Dr Crampton said without other measures to reduce traffic, the jams would soon return.

To remain open

He said: "It's not counter-productive in that it gives you a few years before the traffic grows and essentially clogs up the junction so it's as bad as it was last year.

"You've got a few years where it's relieved but examples that you could draw are from the widening of the M25.

"Essentially after a few years things are nearly as bad as they were before."

Tony Street, specialist project manager for the scheme, said: "This is a huge improvement plan that has been planned for a number of years.

"It represents a key component of our transport strategy, which will eventually lead to a range of traffic-related benefits for everyone using the junction."

The plans will be on show at public meetings held in Reading on Friday at the Holiday Inn and on 7 June at Three Miles Cross Church.

The work will also see two new junctions constructed, south of the M4 at Mereoak, to ease traffic in the Shinfield area.

The existing motorway junction will remain open throughout the first phase of the work in order minimise disruption, the local authority said.