Works due to start to improve access to Headington

Contractors will start on site at the junction of Old Road - Roosevelt Drive - Gipsy Lane - Warneford Lane on Monday 17 October 2016.

The Access to Headington project, which is funded by Oxfordshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), is the latest in a planned programme of transport improvement work being done in and around Oxford. It is expected that stage one of the works will be complete by March 2017.

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

“This latest investment forms part of an integrated programme of improvements, funded through Oxfordshire City Deal, which recently included the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe junction schemes.

"We recognise the pressure our infrastructure is under and we are delighted therefore to see this next phase of major road improvements get underway. The works will help to reduce congestion for local residents and commuters into the city, making it easier to travel between where they live and work.

"These works are essential to support the major employment sites to the east of the city, particularly the John Radcliffe and Old Road Campus areas, enabling the growth of quality jobs in the city.”

It will be delivered in a series of smaller packages to minimise disruption and starts now that the new traffic lights at Cutteslowe and Wolvercote have been switched on. The full programme of works is expected to be completed by September 2018.

The work in the first stage includes:

• building a new lane to exit from Roosevelt Drive
• increasing the length of the approach lane on Old Road
• upgrading the signals so that they more efficiently manage traffic and;
• making improvements to the pedestrian crossing.

Improvements for cyclists

Cycling facilities will also be upgraded to tie in with the rest of Old Road in a future stage. Advanced stop lines for cyclists on each arm of the junction will be provided along with upgraded street lighting. The work will require some removal of trees, but these will be replaced.

Part of a wider strategy

Oxfordshire County Councillor David Nimmo Smith, Cabinet member for transport, said:

“This is a major investment in sustainable transport and forms part of a wider strategy to make getting in and around Oxford easier.

“We need to tackle transport issues in and around Headington now to avoid congestion holding back the planned growth or exacerbating journey times for public transport, general traffic and suppliers of goods and services.

“Access to Headington supports better access to the area including in particular to its hospitals and major employment sites. The completed project will support economic development by addressing existing traffic pinch-points and encouraging greater take-up of more sustainable and space efficient modes of travel.

“The Access to Headington project will take nearly two years to be completed, but it really should be thought of as a series of individual pieces of work which will be done over time so that disruption is minimised.

“We are well aware of the hospital’s pipeline project and all other work in the area and will coordinate these works on the local roads to keep the impact to a minimum.”

Plan journeys to avoid delays

Temporary lights will be used during the works so that disruption is minimised. However delays are to be expected, particularly at the busiest times and so people are advised to plan their journeys and consider if other forms of transport, or adjusting journey times, could be an option.

Find out more

More information on the project, including traffic management drawings and the final layout can be found on the Oxfordshire County Council website at  www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/accessheadington. You can also keep up-to-date with information by signing up to our fortnightly project news bulletin