Oxfordshire County Council joined with construction and public transport partners to celebrate the breaking of ground at the new Eynsham park and ride on Monday, 12 December.
Local councillors joined Balfour Beatty and Stagecoach West at the event in west Oxfordshire. Attendees were shown artist impressions of the completed park and ride before ceremonially breaking ground to mark the start of construction scheduled for early January.
The park and ride – located on the A40 eastbound in Eynsham – is part of a significant investment in the A40 to deliver better facilities for those walking, cycling and using public transport. It will help reduce congestion and provide regular and reliable public transport services into and beyond Oxford from the west.
Work has picked up pace since site clearance began in October. Preparations were made in November for heavy machinery to be brought in, and excavation and earthworks will start in the first week of January following the Christmas and new year break.
Users will benefit from 850 parking spaces, round-the-clock security, dedicated cycle storage, public toilets, and electric vehicle parking bays. The site will be open 24 hours a day.
The park and ride is expected to be finished in early 2024 and open for use in late 2025 once other improvements are completed.
The county council has recently reviewed the HIF2 A40 improvement scheme in light of global inflationary pressures. An update on the delivery is expected in early 2023. The Eynsham park and ride, which is fully funded, will proceed as planned.
Councillor Duncan Enright, Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy, said: “I’m really pleased to celebrate the impending start of construction with some of our key partners in this project.
“I’m looking forward to watching the Eynsham park and ride take shape over the next couple of years. Once complete, it will encourage more people out of their cars and onto a more sustainable mode of transport – one of our brilliant buses.
“The park and ride is one part of wider improvements we have planned for the A40, and we are committed to improving people’s journeys along this crucial road.”
Chris Hall, Portfolio Director at Balfour Beatty, said: “Marking the next phase of the programme of improvements planned on the A40 corridor, the scheme will provide residents and commuters in Eynsham and beyond with a reliable public transport service into Oxford.”
Rachel Geliamassi, Managing Director of Stagecoach West, said: “We are excited to see the work starting on site and will look forward to seeing the progress as it evolves. This park and ride will be an important transport hub providing sustainable travel options for people to connect to great bus links.”
