THE COUNTY council has defended the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabout works after accusations of an "extraordinary" lack of activity on site.

The local authority revealed the planned £9m project to widen the A40 and A44 on the approach to the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts and install traffic lights – due to be completed in October – is six weeks ahead of schedule.

Contractors Skanska were described as making "excellent progress".

But frustrated residents have questioned why the works have had to taken so long, especially with many complaining of often not seeing any workmen on site.

They have been left angry by the tailbacks and regular delays experienced by motorists since work began in July.

Tim Pears, 59, a writer, who lives next to Cutteslowe Roundabout said the lack of work going on was "extraordinary".

He said: "It's quite extraordinary how often there's nobody working there.

"Last summer when it was lovely weather there was no-one there after 4pm or on weekends and it seems the same now.

"At times all I can see is one man sitting in a digger.

He added: "The Great Wall of China was probably built quicker than this and it's only a refurbishment project.

"I feel sorry for small businesses because of the traffic caused and also concerned about the number of ambulance being delayed as there is nowhere to move to let them through."

Eddie Fidler, who has lived in Wolvercote since 1950, said: "I have either cycled, motorcycled or driven a car around Oxford since 1950 and I have never seen such incompetence when it comes to road works in all that time.

"The A34 was built from the M40 to link with the southern bypass and the A34 bridge was rebuilt in the not-so-distant past without the levels of disruption now being caused by the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabout works."

And Roger Watts, 68, who lives near the Cutteslowe Roundabout, added: "There's never any work taking place there, the middle of the roundabout has remained the same for months on end.

"If you compare it to Oxford Parkway, a whole station was built in less time than this project."

But the council has insisted the works are six months ahead of schedule – with already 80 per cent complete – and that an average of 20 workmen are on site each day.

Spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council, Martin Crabtree, said: "While some activities can be completed more quickly at additional cost there is a limit to how many staff you can have working on one activity at any one time.

"Given the size of the site it is understandable that people will not see all the people that are working. On any given working day, there are on average 20 operatives undertaking the works depending on what is required and during some activities this can peak to 50. In addition to operatives undertaking the works there are five engineers who regularly visit and supervise works and five other support staff.

"Because we are keeping the roads open to traffic, safety restricts the size of our working areas."

He added in April the council spent a further £60,000 to carry out work in phases that were not previously feasible to speed up the process.

Work at Wolvercote Roundabout will continue until at least August, with footpath works and the construction of a new roundabout still to be undertaken.

The roundabout is expected to be finished by the end of this month while its Cutteslowe counterpart will run on until September.

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