Oxford politicians have expressed safety concerns about the A34, as more than 10 crashes have already taken place on the road so far this month.

The road, which runs to the west of Oxford, has seen 12 crashes so far in December which is nearly one every other day. 

The crashes, and other incidents, often cause long delays for drivers and in some cases back traffic up for miles.

The incidents on the A34 this month are:

December 1:

• Delays on the A34 Northbound by Hinksey Hill Interchange due a multi-vehicle crash

December 2:

• Delays on the A34 Northbound by the Milton Interchange due to a crash

• Delays on the A34 Northbound on approach to the M40 Junction 9 due to a crash

December 7:

• Delays on the A34 Southbound at Peartree due to a crash

December 8:

• Delays on the A34 Northbound near East Ilsley due to a crash

December 9:

• One lane was closed on the #A34 northbound between the A4130 and A415 near Didcot due to a broken down crane

December 10:

• Delays on Botley Road at the junction with the slip to the A34 on the westbound carriageway due to a broken down vehicle blocking two lanes

December 13:

• Due to a possible power failure the traffic lights at the junction of Botley Road and the slip road to/from the A34 were not working

December 14:

• Delays on the A34 Northbound by Botley due to a crash

December 15:

• Delays on the A34 Southbound between Abingdon and Marcham due to a crash

• Delays on the A34 Southbound just after the Botley Interchange due to a crash

• Delays on the A34 Northbound by Botley due to a crash

December 16:

• Delays on the A34 Northbound just after the Milton Interchange near Didcot due to a crash

December 20: 

  • Dlays on the A34 Northbound between Didcot and Abingdon due to a broken down vehicle

December 24:

  • Delays on the A34 Northbound towards the Milton Interchange near Didcot due to a crash

December 27

  • Long delays on the A34 Northbound approaching the Milton interchange near Didcot due to a crash blocking the road
  • Severe delays on the A34 Southbound approaching East Ilsley due to an incident

Oxford Mail: The A34 runs past Oxford on the Western side of the city The A34 runs past Oxford on the Western side of the city

Councillor Susanna Pressel, who represents Osney and St Thomas Ward, described congestion on the Botley Road as “dreadful” due to accidents on the A34.

She said: “Traffic congestion on Botley Road has been dreadful for years – and it seems to be getting worse. What makes it really bad is accidents on the A34 ring-road. They happen so often nowadays.

“I have raised this with County Council Highways officers and they tell me ‘we are working with Highways England on their current A34 North and South of Oxford study, and improving safety is one of the main objectives of this work’.

“It is disappointing that I haven’t managed to find out how much longer we will have to wait – and how many more tragic deaths and serious injuries will happen before this busy road will be made safer?"

Greg Stone, Network Highways route manager, told the Oxford Mail that Highways England recently completed £12 million of safety improvements on the road, including signage, road markings and upgrading and removing laybys.

He said "Safety is one of National Highway's top priorities. We remain committed to reviewing safety on the A34 in Oxfordshire as we do on all the motorways and major A roads we manage.

“The A34 improvements project is currently exploring opportunities to reduce congestion and improve safety on the A34 between the M4 and M40. Our network is a vital part of everyone’s life and we’ll never stop searching for ways to improve on safety and reliability.”

Oxford Mail: Accidents have caused traffic delays for drivers Accidents have caused traffic delays for drivers

However, Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, believes that “very little has happened on the ground to make a difference”.

Ms Moran said that she has been aware of the “serious problem” of accidents on the road since was elected. This year she ‘pressed’ Highways England to ‘get on with’ safety improvements.

She said: “I am frustrated that promised progress from Highways England has been slow to implement.”

Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds also said: “I am deeply concerned by the recent spate of accidents on the A34 which have caused significant disruption to residents. National Highways has recognised the need for investment to improve safety and reduce delays on the trunk roads around Oxford, and I urge them to expedite this work.”

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