A BOULEVARD design for one of Oxford city centre’s worst traffic bottlenecks was yesterday backed by county council leaders.

Members of the cabinet agreed to go forward with plans to redesign Frideswide Square outside the railway station.

The boulevard design was chosen in a bid to improve traffic flows as council officers ruled out an oval-shaped layout.

It will feature a large roundabout at the entrance to the station and two mini-roundabouts at the other end of the square, in front of the Royal Oxford Hotel.

The layout will include public spaces on three sides, with traffic and bus stops in the middle.

The boulevard design will also remove traffic lights introduced in 1999.

Following the decision, construction work is expected to start next year.

Last month, Oxford cycling campaign group Cyclox expressed concern that both schemes could endanger cyclists because of a lack of cycle lanes. Cyclox spokesman Richard Mann said: “We are concerned that the boulevard scheme doesn’t have cycle lanes, but now the council is down to one design we hope they will talk to us about how they might adapt the plan to make it safer for cyclists.”

The scheme will cost £3.7m, with the council investing £1.5m. Other funding comes from developer contributions and the West End Partnership.