County council starts to bring light to Milton tunnel

Work has started on refurbishing a tunnel beneath the Great Western Railway at Milton to provide a new pedestrian and cyclist facility.

The new connection will enable current and future visitors as well as residents and business staff either side of the railway to more easily and more quickly access the other side of the railway.

Around £900,000, provided by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, is being invested in the improvements.

Light at the end of the tunnel

New lighting to illuminate the pathway will be installed in the tunnel and on the approaches at both ends. The lighting will be activated as pedestrians and cyclists approach the tunnel to reduce maintenance costs and light pollution.

This new link will form part of a more extensive network that is proposed to connect Milton Park to Milton Heights, with the next stage being a new junction on the A4130 to enable users to safely cross the road from Backhill Tunnel.

Find out more

The team are setting up the site now and aim to be complete by early September. Further information is available at https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/backhill-pedestrian-and-cycle-tunnel

Once the works are complete a safety audit will follow to determine whether the link can open safely in advance of waiting for the new junction and crossing.