DRAMATIC new pictures show work on the new £11.8m link road in South Oxfordshire is taking shape.

Following a two-decade campaign led by Harwell residents, a new bypass between their village and Didcot is in the process of being built, with plans for it to be finished by the end of the year.

Chairman of Harwell Parish Council David Marsh said the village was delighted with the progress being made so far.

He added: “We really are looking forward to when the road is all finished, hopefully by the end of the year.

“It really will make such a difference as we get so much through traffic from of people travelling from Didcot through to Harwell or on to the A34 or even Wantage.

“We are a village and shouldn’t have the volumes of traffic racing through that we have at the moment.”

The new link road will be on land between the B4493 and the A417 to the east of Harwell and south west of Didcot, running alongside the A34.

Oxfordshire County Council’s traffic management team have said that the new roundabout on the A417 has been built including kerbs, footways, drainage and electrical ducts.

The stone under the road is now being shaped so the first two layers of surfacing can start this week.

The roundabout is being built in two halves to ensure that traffic continues to flow and a set of temporary traffic lights are in place to keep construction workers safe.

This week traffic will be moved to the new half of the roundabout so work can begin on the other half.

Mr Marsh added: “Recently we had the Blenheim Hill road closure in the village and I know everyone appreciated the lack of traffic and vehicles whizzing through.

“We all just cannot wait for when this becomes a permanent reality once the link road is finished.”

On the B4493 the roundabout drainage and underground service diversions are in progress and work to relocate the gas main will start later this week, followed by kerb laying on Monday, May 1 bank holiday.

A spokesman for the traffic management team said: “We also plan to start excavation on the north side of the B4493 where we also need to import stone fill to raise the levels for the other half of this roundabout.

“The earthworks for the new link road between the two roundabouts is going well, and benefitting from the continued dry weather we have seen over the last few months.

“Nearly all the topsoil has been removed along the route of the new road and over half the length now has its first layer of stone placed and compacted.”

Temporary traffic lights will remain in place for 24 hours on the A417.