Oxfordshire
Relief planned at major junction
A NEW relief road at Pear Tree could be included in an £88m transport package to ease congestion on roads around Oxford.
The link road would connect the A40 and A44 to take traffic away from the Wolvercote roundabout and roads north of the city.
It is one of the options being looked at by county council planners, who are investigating a package of improvements to main routes into Oxford.
With the idea of turning the A34 into a three-lane motorway ruled out, it has emerged that the county council is focusing on major ring road junctions north and south of the city.
The idea of a new link road near Pear Tree has been previously included in county council planning documents. But County Hall says the scheme could now be achievable thanks to a £62m allocation from the Regional Transport Board towards the Access to Oxford scheme.
Daniel Round, principal transport planner for Access to Oxford, said: "The difference is that there is now a great deal of funding available. We are wiping the slate clean and going back to the drawing board. There is potential at Pear Tree to put a link road in to create a large one-way gyratory system."
It is understood that the link road would be built across a field behind the BMW garage near the Wolvercote roundabout to create a new route between the A40 and A44.
He said the council was also looking to see how access to Oxford could be improved at all three junctions north of the city - Pear Tree, Wolvercote and Banbury Road.
It is also investigating improvements to the south of the city at Heyford Hill, Kennington and the Hinksey interchange.
There is likely to be a proposal for a bus priority slip road off the A34 at Hinksey Hill to speed up bus services between Oxford and Abingdon.
Ian Hudspeth, county council cabinet member for transport, said: "Traffic crawls up from Pear Tree to Wolvercote. It is a particularly bad bottleneck. The link road would be quite short but it could greatly relieve pressure on the Wolvercote roundabout, with a beneficial knock-on effect for A40 users.
"I'm sure some people would have wanted to see a bigger scheme, with a road linking the A40 to the A34. But we could not do that without the co-operation of the Highways Authority."
Planners say they are still analysing the results of a survey into the travel habits of thousands of people across Oxfordshire, before detailed plans are drawn up and submitted to the Government.
But the county's assistant head of transport, Steve Smith, said the prospect of tens of thousands of new homes and the completion of the new Westgate Centre meant County Hall anti-congestion measures needed to move forward quickly.
Plans for electronic road signs offering motorists live information will go to the county council cabinet on May 20.
When the signs are installed they will give motorists advanced warning of roadworks, congestion, accidents and tell drivers when the city's park-and-rides or car parks are full.
The signs will be sited early next year at Yarnton, Eynsham, Wolvercote, Sandford, Cumnor and the A40. They are likely to appear on the A34 after talks with the Highways Agency.
8:00am Friday 9th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: julia, oxford on 9:10pm Thu 8 May 08
Enough with the cars already! They are ruining our country and our city. Make Oxford car free or at least a hefty congestion charge.
Enough with the cars already! They are ruining our country and our city. Make Oxford car free or at least a hefty congestion charge.
Posted by: Andrew, Oxford on 10:24pm Thu 8 May 08
Improvements to roads around Oxford are absolutely essential.
That doesn't mean to say that there shouldn't also be significant improvements to the alternatives available.
Time to spend the money on major public transport infrastructure initiatives in Oxford/Oxfordshire.
A light-rail/tram network based on former rail routes would be a fantastic option for Oxford.
Witney - Princes Risborough?
Abingdon-Oxford?
Definitely potential there... It just needs someone with drive and initiative (and an understanding that oil prices may well hit $200 a barrel) to deliver the possibilities.
Improvements to roads around Oxford are absolutely essential.
That doesn't mean to say that there shouldn't also be significant improvements to the alternatives available.
Time to spend the money on major public transport infrastructure initiatives in Oxford/Oxfordshire.
A light-rail/tram network based on former rail routes would be a fantastic option for Oxford.
Witney - Princes Risborough?
Abingdon-Oxford?
Definitely potential there... It just needs someone with drive and initiative (and an understanding that oil prices may well hit $200 a barrel) to deliver the possibilities.
Posted by: Mark, Oxford on 11:28pm Thu 8 May 08
unfortunately the cost of tram/light rail is just too much for any private firm; the payback term would be years, unless they charged high prices. Junction improvements will help I guess, but I suspect most people are trying to get from Witney direction into Oxford, not go from Witney to the north...
unfortunately the cost of tram/light rail is just too much for any private firm; the payback term would be years, unless they charged high prices. Junction improvements will help I guess, but I suspect most people are trying to get from Witney direction into Oxford, not go from Witney to the north...
Posted by: Frank, Oxford on 11:29pm Thu 8 May 08
I am convinced that 'proper' public transport based on light or heavy rail connecting towns like Witney, Bicester, Thame, and Abingdon with Oxford would be eagerly taken up and relieve most of this congestion. Buses are never going to deliver that though - they get stuck in the same traffic.
I am convinced that 'proper' public transport based on light or heavy rail connecting towns like Witney, Bicester, Thame, and Abingdon with Oxford would be eagerly taken up and relieve most of this congestion. Buses are never going to deliver that though - they get stuck in the same traffic.
Posted by: c, Oxford on 8:36am Fri 9 May 08
you know what this place needs...
monarail, monarail, monarail!!!
you know what this place needs...
monarail, monarail, monarail!!!
Posted by: J, oxford on 8:46am Fri 9 May 08
They need to spend money on the rail service, with frequent trains coming into Oxford from Witney, Wantage, Abingdon, Bicester, Woodstock, Faringdon etc... Buses just further clog up the roads, and take forever to get from A to B, making them a worse alternative than the car.
[quote]
[bold]julia[/bold] wrote:
Enough with the cars already! They are ruining our country and our city. Make Oxford car free or at least a hefty congestion charge.[/quote]
Don't tell me, you're either a housewife who doesn't need to go anywhere other than locally, or you work somewhere either walking distance, or on a decent public transport route. Get real!! You're living in cuckoo land with suggestions like that!
They need to spend money on the rail service, with frequent trains coming into Oxford from Witney, Wantage, Abingdon, Bicester, Woodstock, Faringdon etc... Buses just further clog up the roads, and take forever to get from A to B, making them a worse alternative than the car.
julia wrote:
Enough with the cars already! They are ruining our country and our city. Make Oxford car free or at least a hefty congestion charge.
Don't tell me, you're either a housewife who doesn't need to go anywhere other than locally, or you work somewhere either walking distance, or on a decent public transport route. Get real!! You're living in cuckoo land with suggestions like that!
Posted by: CB, Abingdon on 10:33am Fri 9 May 08
At Abingdon end all we need is a new bridge, and connect the A34 at Lodge Hill , (the other side).
What a shame they removed the train station/link from Abingdon when MG closed. If they had left the track bed it could have been made into a useful link.
At Abingdon end all we need is a new bridge, and connect the A34 at Lodge Hill , (the other side).
What a shame they removed the train station/link from Abingdon when MG closed. If they had left the track bed it could have been made into a useful link.
Posted by: ID, Witney on 8:55pm Fri 9 May 08
Can't speak for other towns and their transport issues but what Witney deperately needs is a railway station with a high speed link to reading and London. Hanborough parking is crap (actually it's all the twats who double park and block others in who are crap) and Oxford Rail parking is a rip off.
Seems odd that with all the focus on building in Witney recently no one has thought about how to address infrastructure requirements. Don't even start me about the a40 from Witney to Oxford !
Can't speak for other towns and their transport issues but what Witney deperately needs is a railway station with a high speed link to reading and London. Hanborough parking is crap (actually it's all the twats who double park and block others in who are crap) and Oxford Rail parking is a rip off.
Seems odd that with all the focus on building in Witney recently no one has thought about how to address infrastructure requirements. Don't even start me about the a40 from Witney to Oxford !
Posted by: Phil Gale, Oxford on 4:25pm Sun 11 May 08
Rail/light-rail links to the towns around Oxford would be great ... as long as they didn't have to fit around the shambles of a train service at Oxford station! The punctuality record leaves a lot to be desired. Imagine if local light rail was having to fit around the late main-line trains, for any part of its journey!
Rail/light-rail links to the towns around Oxford would be great ... as long as they didn't have to fit around the shambles of a train service at Oxford station! The punctuality record leaves a lot to be desired. Imagine if local light rail was having to fit around the late main-line trains, for any part of its journey!
Posted by: James, Witney on 8:06pm Sun 11 May 08
The worst roads into Oxford are the ones from witney, (which is having 1000s of new houses) No train, No dual Carriageway, No bus lanes, Expensive Bus Charges - £5.50 return, cheaper to park in Oxford. [bold]STUPID![/bold]
The worst roads into Oxford are the ones from witney, (which is having 1000s of new houses) No train, No dual Carriageway, No bus lanes, Expensive Bus Charges - £5.50 return, cheaper to park in Oxford.
STUPID!
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