DRIVERS will hopefully experience a better journey getting from A to B after the council has announced a £24 million rush hour project.

The multi-million pound project aims to reduce congestion, boost employment and create opportunities for greener forms of travel.

Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) has approved 2.3km Arborfield Cross relief road to divert traffic away from smaller villages and open up land for new housing.

Cyclists will also be able to use dedicated pathways and pedestrians will find it easier walking to their destinations.

The relied road will link the A327 Reading Road to the A327 Eversley Road, providing traffic relief for the village and local community.

Baroness Vere, roads minister for WBC, said: “Roads are part of the fabric of everyday life – stimulating local economies and helping bring communities together.

“This vital £24m scheme will provide a new route for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians, helping reduce traffic through local routes and making towns a nicer place to live.”

Traffic through Arborfield Cross is predicted to see 3,200 vehicles per hour, causing more congestion, queues and delays in local villages by 2026.

The new relief road aims to divert traffic away from busier routes, ensuring the local villages are not "bombarded" with traffic.

Councillor John Halsall, leader of WBC said: “This is exceptional news for the borough, reducing congestion is a principal objective for us at Wokingham and we welcome this funding to assist in the delivery of the identified infrastructure.”

The announcement comes after a string of investments made by the Department of Transport to ensure roads are fit for purpose, spending more than £6.6 billion between 2015 and 2021.