YOU report yesterday about a car being driven northbound along the southbound carriageway of the A34 between Chilton and Milton on Saturday afternoon (Woman OAP drives wrong way on A34). As the report states the driver had travelled about half a mile against the flow of traffic, it suggests she joined at Chilton.

The new exit slip road off the southbound carriageway of the A34 at Chilton was opened on 10 November 2016. Since then the junction of this slip road at the new roundabout has been protected by temporary No Entry signs. Chilton Parish Council discussed at its meeting on 18 January 2017 the possibility of drivers going the wrong way up the slip road due to the lack of permanent signs. 

The Parish Council then wrote to Oxfordshire County Council with a snagging list of items to finish with the new slip roads. The response received in February stated that in connection with the No Entry signs the County Council: "are discussing these items with Highways England – all changes require their approval as they are on their Network."

Some five months after the new slips roads opened at Chilton, at a cost of £11 million after 13 months of construction, it appears that an entirely predictable incident has happened for want of a couple of permanent No Entry signs.

FRANK DUMBLETON
Main Street, Chilton