MOTORISTS have been warned of more congestion when the new school year starts next week.

Oxfordshire County Council has advised people to plan their journeys in advance with the school run adding to traffic already struggling with roadworks at the Cutteslowe and Wolvercote roundabouts, Frideswide Square and the A34 at Milton.

The scheme at Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts, designed to reduce congestion on the A40 when finished, started shortly after most schools broke up for summer.

Work at Chilton and Hagbourne Hill is also in its early stages.

The county council has urged commuters to plan their journeys and consider alternative routes, times and modes of transport.

Cabinet member for transport David Nimmo Smith said the combination of a series of major road improvement schemes with the increased traffic during term time meant there would be significant disruption in some areas.

He warned: “Delays will be a fact of life on some routes for some time. The options we want people to look at are travelling at different times, taking different routes or using different modes of transport. The alternative is to accept that journeys could take far longer and do nothing about it.

“I really want people to try other options.

“The default position for many people is that there is no option but the car for them. But simply trying the bus, car sharing, cycling, walking or combining a number of modes for your journey canmake a difference.”

For more information about the roadworks and travel suggestions, see the website oxfordshire.gov.uk