CONGESTION on the A40 between Oxford and Witney will get worse even after improvement works near Wolvercote are finished, a report has revealed.

Oxfordshire County Council has proposed the overhaul of Woodstock and Banbury Road roundabouts, changes to Pear Tree Interchange, and a link road between the A40 and A44.

But an internal draft report circulated by the authority – seen by the Oxford Mail – admitted the measures were “unlikely” to resolve capacity problems on the major route.

It said growth at Witney and Carterton would pile on extra pressure and suggested nine options for lowering journey times, including bus lanes and converting it to a dual carriageway.

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The report said: “A number of schemes [in North Oxford] are proposed which may bring some relief to the A40. However, these improvements are unlikely to resolve the current capacity issues on A40, let alone deal with the impact of future developments in West Oxfordshire.”

By 2031, it predicted peak-hour journey times could go up by 13 minutes.

It added the number of bus passengers per peak hour will go up from 27 passengers to 34 passengers per vehicle.

The council said options it was considering included adding lanes to the route, as well as building new rail links and a guided busway.

But critics seized on the report as proof the council had failed to act quickly enough in the past.

United Front Against Incompetent Councils Oxfordshire spokesman Paul Mills, of Witney, has previously called for the resignations of county council leader Ian Hudspeth and cabinet member for transport David Nimmo-Smith, for “severe failings” relating to roads management.

The 32-year-old said: “These measures should have been done 15 years ago; it is not like the A40 has only just reached capacity. Now it has got so bad the council cannot afford to ignore it.

“I am one of many who, rather than use the A40, take a route through Long Hanborough, Bladon and Woodstock. But these days even that route is chock-a-block.”

Witney Oxford Transport Group spokesman Maurizio Fantato called on the county council to lobby for funds to create a long-term alternative strategy not just based on the roads.

“When you rely on a single network, if something goes wrong everything gets stuck,” he said. “People want to be able to rely on a timetable. But if you are using the road that journey time becomes much more uncertain. That is not good for the economy either.”

Mr Huspeth stressed the authority’s plans were still in very early stages. He said: “We are looking at potential options and are not ruling anything out. Doing nothing is not an option.”

Cllr Nimmo Smith stressed the council was investigating the issue but could not “wave a magic wand”.

He said: “Whichever plan we go with, it has to be planned and funded and that takes time. It could be a road solution and we are not ruling out a rail solution, although it could be costly and difficult to do.”

Prime Minister and MP for Witney David Cameron said congestion on the A40 was “a foot on the windpipe of West Oxfordshire’s economy”. He said: “I have always felt that, long-term, a dual carriageway is a good answer, but I take the point that this would move traffic challenges further down the road. I am assured the council will develop longer-term solutions.”

Labour parliamentary candidate for Witney Duncan Enright said: “The A40 is not just an inconvenience; the county council and the Government need to realise that people do not get to see their children in the evening because of this road.”

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: “It is crucial for the economic, social and cultural vibrancy of the city and wider county – and the sanity of commuters – that these pressures are tackled.”

Martin Sutton, managing director of Stagecoach Ox-fordshire, said without new measures to tackle congestion, there would be “even longer journey times.”

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