A REVAMP of one of Oxford's “most dangerous” junctions is due to be completed next week.

Work at the junction of Donnington Bridge Road and Iffley Road started five weeks ago and has cost £210,000.

New traffic lights, which can react to queues, have been installed at the junction. Three pedestrian crossings and crossing islands have also been put in, as well as hatched lines along Iffley Road to keep traffic apart and discourage overtaking.

Community leaders and parents said the improvements would “help save lives”.

In November 2006, families held a mock funeral at the junction, claiming there would be a fatal accident if action was not taken.

Debbie Hastings, of Swinburne Road, will be taking daughter Mili, four, to nearby Larkrise Primary School in September.

She said: “It is great news for the community.

“It makes parents who use this stretch of the road feel a lot safer. It was a pretty nasty junction beforehand.”

Grandmother Lilian Sherwood, of Weirs Lane, said: “It has taken a while, but it has been worth the wait.

“The contractors from Siemens have been marvellous. They have been helping to guide people across the road and making sure we don’t bump into any of the obstacles.”

The scheme is a joint venture between Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

City councillor David Williams said the new junction had been “10 years in the making”.

He said: “It was one of Oxford’s most dangerous junctions — I wrote a report detailing how there had been eight major accidents at the junction over a 10-year period.

"We're delighted with this scheme, which will help keep pedestrians in this community safe.”

Fellow city councillor Nuala Young added: “I have lived here for about 30 years and watched the road get so much busier.

“We were always told we would have to wait for a fatality to get funding. We knew it would happen, but of course we didn’t want to wait for that. This new scheme will help save lives.”

Ian Hudspeth, the county council's cabinet member for infrastructure, added: “It will help people feel more safe and secure, particularly those with children at Larkrise Primary School.

“Pedestrians now have priority here. The scheme will really help improve the quality of life for people living in the area.”

Additional improvements include advanced stop lines for cyclists and double yellow lines on each corner to improve the flow of traffic.

James Styring, chairman of the city’s cycle pressure group Cyclox, said: “Advanced stop lines are invaluable, because they enable cyclists to get to the front of the queue of traffic.

“It's great to see the councils are taking the needs of cyclists into consideration.”