Drivers in and around Abingdon are being warned to expect delays as two major road schemes are set to operate at the same time on a key route through the town.
Work at the Peachcroft roundabout will coincide with construction at the A34 Lodge Hill junction from Monday 28 September, with the overlap expected to last for around six weeks.
The two schemes are connected by a section of the A4183 Oxford Road, meaning traffic travelling between the two sites could be affected by temporary traffic management at both ends of the route.
At Peachcroft, where the A4183 meets Dunmore Road and Twelve Acre Drive, temporary traffic lights will be introduced while work by housing developer David Wilson Homes takes place.
Further south, the A4183 at Lodge Hill will operate under two-way temporary traffic lights between the entrance to the Lodge Hill garage and the start of the new southern roundabout. The lights will operate around the clock and will be manually controlled during the day to help manage traffic flows.
The arrangements will come alongside overnight closures of the A34 southbound as part of the wider Lodge Hill project. The current programme includes overnight closures between 9pm and 6am on weekdays through 2 October, with a signed diversion via the A4183 and Abingdon.
Oxfordshire County Council said the two schemes would not normally be permitted to take place so close together because of the potential for additional congestion.
Councillor Liz Leffman, the council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said the circumstances were exceptional, but that carrying out the work concurrently would reduce the overall period of disruption and avoid delaying either scheme.
The council said traffic management would be monitored and adjusted where necessary, with access maintained where practicable for residents, businesses, public transport operators and other road users.
The Lodge Hill project is intended to improve the A34 interchange by adding south-facing slip roads and increasing junction capacity. The wider scheme is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, with the new junction expected to open in winter. The council says the improvements will support planned growth in the Abingdon area, including more than 1,000 new homes by 2031.
For drivers, however, the immediate consequence will be a more complicated journey through the area from next week, with temporary signals on the A4183 and further restrictions on the A34.
The county council is advising residents and commuters to plan journeys in advance and allow additional time for travel.
