| The closure of Park Way bridge has put Newbury on the map after the A339 through Newbury was named as the third most congested road in the country.
New research by Trafficmaster revealed that journeys take more than twice as long on the stretch of road featuring the traffic lights on the A339 northbound, which includes the Sainsburys roundabout traffic lights.
Park Way bridge has been closed on and off for nine months this year, leading to a 131% increase in journey times for people using the road between the Swan and Robin Hood roundabouts.
This follows an earlier report for West Berkshire Council which revealed that the five years after the Newbury bypass opened traffic congestion was back to the same levels as before it opened.
West Berkshire Council is due to review the speed limit on the A339, between Burger King roundabout and Monks Lane junction. The current speed limit is 50 mph.
And it’s likely that the road could get worse. Newbury racecourse is planning nearly 1500 new homes on surplus land over the next few years, and West Berkshire Council wants to move the tip to land behind Newbury College, adding 1000 more car journeys a day to the Swan roundabout. | 
