Work is finally set to begin on a new road in Witney town centre which aims to relieve congestion and provide access to the Marriotts Close development.

Construction of the first phase of the West End Link Road -- connecting Welch Way and Mill Street, via Dark Lane -- will start on Monday.

The road is a vital part of the proposed Marriotts Close shopping, restaurant, cinema and housing complex, which is due to start taking shape in September 2006.

Oxfordshire County Council hopes the road will be finished by mid-December.

But council engineer Colin Baird said the second phase of the link road, connecting Mill Street and West End, was a long way off.

He said the future of the second phase was dependent on the outcome of the Cogges Link Road, which is designed to divert traffic away from the town centre by connecting Oxford Hill and Witan Way.

Work was due to begin on the West End Link Road in summer 2003, but was delayed because of confusion over land ownership.

Contracts have now been signed by Thatcham-based construction firm Hope and Clay -- which built Jubilee Way, the link road around Witney's Madley Park housing development -- and work will start in Dark Lane, off Mill Street.

Plans for the new road are due to be discussed by the county council's planning and regulation committee on July 18.

They have provoked fierce opposition from campaigners, who say the road would destroy the Windrush Valley.

Mr Baird said: "Phase two is a long way off. It's there if Cogges Link is unsuccessful, but at the moment it's a fallback position.

"It's there in the future programme, but not the short-term."

In total, the first phase will cost £1.24m, with money from the county council, West Oxfordshire District Council, and All Souls College, Oxford, which owns the old Early's blanket site.

District council leader Barry Norton said: "It's good news work is now going to get under way and it's a fairly short construction period, so hopefully the work won't be too disruptive to the existing car parking."

A section of Dark Lane will be closed for 17 weeks. Work will then proceed on linking the road to Welch Way car park, where it will run alongside the boundary to Witney Community Hospital and on to Welch Way.

The entrance to the long-stay section of Welch Way car park will be blocked off from next week, along with about 100 parking spaces.

Substitute car parking space has already been set up on part of the former Witney Town football ground, which will be redeveloped as part of the Marriotts Close scheme.

Mr Baird said the road would open up a neglected corner of Witney as well as providing traffic relief on High Street.

David Robertson, county council executive member for transport, who lives in Witney, said: "A lot of hard work has gone into getting this much-needed £1.24m road construction project up and running.

"I look forward to Monday and even more to the day when this new road brings the real benefits we foresee for Witney."