WORK on the £5.8m overhaul of Frideswide Square in Oxford will begin in two weeks, Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed.

The authority said it would begin overnight works on February 16, with traffic restrictions put in place from February 27 and 28.

Fencing will go up around the northern half of the square, outside the Said Business School, where the first phase of works will start from March 2, the council said.

The scheme will see the current junction replaced with one large roundabout outside the station, connected to two mini-roundabouts near the Royal Oxford Hotel.

County council cabinet member for transport David Nimmo Smith said: “Frideswide Square is one of the key bottlenecks preventing reliable journey times for people commuting into Oxford from outside the city.

“By removing traffic lights and using roundabouts traffic will be able to flow more freely than at the moment.”

Mr Nimmo Smith added that drivers should avoid the area if possible while works are continuing.

He said: “While we are working on the improvements there will undoubtedly be disruption for people who travel through the area and for those who live or work there.

“We have been in regular contact with people around the square and will continue to work with them to minimise disruption as work progresses.”