Several weeks of road works has been causing traffic mayhem on a main Reading road for emergency services.

The road works, conducted by SGN (Southern Gas Network) have been put in place alongside traffic management to repair gas networks that facilitate nearby homes on Reading Road.

Over the last nine weeks, these works have caused havoc, slowing down traffic and hampering emergency services travelling down Reading Road in Winnersh.

The traffic management in place during the utility repair and maintenance work includes an alternative footpath which takes pedestrians off the pavement and onto a route on the road.

This has meant that the two lane road has been altered to facilitate the footpath which goes around the works taking place.

Bradley Barlow, spokesperson for gas distribution company SGN said: "We're currently working in Reading Road to upgrade our gas network, replacing old metal gas mains with new plastic pipes. 

"Part of this work involves using a vacuum excavator which needs to be placed on the footpath. We're using temporary traffic lights so that we can put a walkway around the excavator to allow pedestrians to continue using the road safely.

"The temporary traffic lights are manually operated at all times and are only in use when the footpath needs to be closed. Due to schools reopening, from Monday 2 September, the temporary traffic lights will only be in place from 9.30am to 2.30pm as per our agreement with the local authority. They are not out every day - only when we need to close the footpath.

"We liaise with local stakeholders, including the emergency services, to make them aware of any forthcoming work."