MOTORISTS face a summer of travel disruption as hundreds of roadworks are planned.

Oxfordshire County Council’s travel disruptions website lists 52 pages of roadworks – more than 500 entries – from now to September 1.

Some of the work is relatively small, such as pothole repair.

But it also list repairs forecast to have a severe impact on traffic.

These include a £400,000 project to resurface the main street through Chipping Norton and £1m of work to repair bridges and the safety barrier along the A40.

County Hall said the work was normal for the time of year and projects needed dry weather.

The projects on the council website include road resurfacing and schemes from utilities firms like Thames Water.

The water firm caused traffic chaos earlier this month when repairs to a burst water main over-ran in Botley Road.

Motorists acknowledged that the work was necessary, although one called for more to be done at night.

Abingdon cabbie Colin Dobson, 46, said: “I am not seeing disruption and the workmen seem to be trying to avoid rush hours.

“I would like to see more action on the serious potholes in winter. You see them growing in front of your eyes.”

Former Oxford chairman of the Institute of Advanced Motorists Mark McArthur-Christie said: “The county council is doing a pretty good job with this one.

“It is stuck between having no money from central Government and two really bad winters.”

Haulier Steve Radband, 51, said: “It does get harder to drive around Oxfordshire in the summer.

“They should do the roadworks at night when there is less traffic. It will cost us a fortune as we are paid for deliveries and get held up.”

County council deputy leader Rodney Rose said: “It is no more disruptive than any other time of year. Most of these things are done at quite high speed and we keep road closures to a minimum.

“Things like chip and tar can only be done in decent weather. To do it any other way, it would come up again in 12 months and be a waste of money.

The council will close Horsefair in Chipping Norton for three weeks for resurfacing from August 5.

Town mayor Mike Tysoe said: “We may as well take the pain now, then we do not need it for 20 years.”

The county has already started work to repair three bridges on the A40/M40 near Wheatley.

A £15m redevelopment of Botley’s Seacourt Retail Park will see two-way access created off the A420.