A stretch of the B4445 between Thame and Chinnor will be resurfaced using a package of lower-carbon materials and technologies, with three phases of road closures planned from 21 September to 07 October.
Oxfordshire County Council is using the resurfacing scheme to trial a combination of materials and construction methods intended to reduce the carbon emissions associated with highway maintenance.
The work will replace the existing carriageway surface and road markings, alongside verge clearance and drainage repairs and improvements. The council estimates that the combination of measures could reduce embodied carbon emissions by more than 30 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent compared with conventional resurfacing.
The scheme has been developed by the county council and its highways contractor, M Group, with a number of specialist suppliers.
The largest anticipated carbon saving is expected to come from Breedon’s ACLA Net Zero Binder Course, a lower-carbon asphalt material developed specifically for the project. Other measures include Shell Cariphalte Ultra carbon sink polymer-modified bitumen, thermal joint heating technology and cold-applied MMA road markings.
The scheme will also incorporate a biodiversity programme using suitable site-won materials to create habitat features. Solar-powered welfare cabins, high-tech traffic management and electric plant will be used as part of the works.
Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repairs, said the project would allow the authority to assess how the technologies could reduce emissions while potentially improving durability and reducing future maintenance requirements.
The council said the trial would provide an opportunity to evaluate how the different measures perform together under real-world conditions, with the results potentially informing future highway schemes.
B4445 closures
The work will require the B4445 to close in three phases.
Phase 1: Monday 21 September to Friday 25 September
The road will be closed for verge clearance, drainage repairs and resurfacing preparation.
Phase 2: Monday 28 September to Friday 02 October
The closure will allow the carriageway to be resurfaced and road markings replaced.
Phase 3: Monday 05 October to Wednesday 07 October
The final closure will be used to complete drainage improvements and reinstate verges.
A signed diversion will operate throughout the closures. The road will be reopened outside the planned closure periods whenever it is safe to do so.
Staff will be stationed at either end of the closure to assist residents, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and to support the safety of road users and the workforce.
The B4445 scheme forms part of Oxfordshire County Council’s wider 2026 resurfacing programme. The council says that since May it has been carrying out resurfacing on 38 roads covering approximately 115,000 square metres of carriageway, with the programme scheduled to continue until November.
The latest scheme therefore combines an immediate disruption for people travelling between Thame and Chinnor with a wider trial of approaches intended to reduce the environmental impact of maintaining Oxfordshire’s road network.
