A34 queues ahead as resurfacing work begins (From Oxford Mail)

A34 queues ahead as resurfacing work begins

10:30am Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News

A £2M project to resurface a six and a half mile stretch of the busy A34 round Oxford will start next week.

The work between the Pear Tree and Kennington junctions starts on Monday and will be carried out overnight for 12 weeks from 9pm-5.30am.

Most of the work will be carried out using lane closures and a 10mph convoy system, with a 40mph speed limit on approaches to the roadworks and an escort vehicle to guide drivers through the site.

The section between Pear Tree and Botley is expected to be completely closed some nights from 9pm-5.30am between Monday, October 29, and Tuesday, November 6, with traffic diverted via the A40 Northern Bypass.

Last night the Highways Agency warned traffic queues and hold-ups were inevitable.

There will also be short diversions in place for drivers accessing local roads that adjoin the A34.

Highways Agency project leader Nigel Leake said: “The A34 is a vital road linking the Midlands to the South Coast and this section is used by drivers to make more than 70,000 journeys every day.

“We work hard to keep journeys safe and reliable and this renewal of the road surface will help us do that, by keeping the road in good condition.”

The Highways Agency expects the work to be completed by December 21, but it could finish earlier or later depending on the weather.

Traffic sensors in the road surface, road studs and road markings will also be updated as part of the project.

Thin rolled asphalt – which dries quicker and is a low-noise surface – is being used to resurface the road.

Mohammed Kiani, from A1 Taxis in Park End Street, Oxford, said: “The resurfacing work is necessary.

“But if drivers go there and there is a traffic jam, then we try to avoid it and use a different route.”

Steve Ring, from Witney-based Ringo’s Taxis, said: “The road needs doing, it is such a busy road.”

The scheme will be split into four phases:

• Monday, October 1 to Friday, October 26 – Kennington to Pear Tree (northbound carriageway)
• Monday, October 29 to Friday, November 16 – Pear Tree to Botley (southbound carriageway)
• Monday, November 19 to Monday, December 3 – Botley to Kennington (southbound)
• Tuesday, December 4 to Friday, December 21 – Kennington to Pear Tree (both carriageways).