The countdown has begun to a £1.6m project to improve safety at Oxfordshire's worst accident blackspot -- the Cowley Road in Oxford.

Work begins on April 4, on the road which has the highest reported accident rate of any street in Oxfordshire -- with one crash every two weeks.

Improvements include a 20mph speed limit, three new zebra crossings, 100 new bicycle parking spaces and repairs to parts of the road.

More than 2,000 residents had a say in the Government-funded revamp.

The plans also include raised crossings, freshly-planted trees, wide pavements and new benches at Alma Place, Manzil Gardens, Crown Street and Union Street.

The roadworks will take place from The Plain to Magdalen Road and should be complete by November.

Celia Jones, transport planner at Oxfordshire County Council, said: "This is an exciting project to put in extensive road safety improvements at the same time as rebuilding the section of the road that is falling apart.

"The work will be disruptive for several months, but after that the Cowley Road will be smoother, safer and more attractive for many years."

The number of car parking spaces will be about the same as there are now.

The 20mph speed limit will be supported by signs that flash if drivers are going too fast.

Three areas along the street will have special landscaping, putting the road and pavement at the same level.

There will be wider pavements opposite Manzil Gardens with benches and space for displays of goods.

In the area between Crown Street and Union Street, there will be extra cycle parking, trees and loading bays. The pelican crossing will be made wider and at Alma Place there will be wider pavements with trees and benches.

In all these areas, the pavements will be laid with block paving similar to that used recently in Walton Street and St Clements.

Along the length of the street, 16 of the 23 side roads will have raised crossings.

The scheme's design is based on a consultation exercise carried out by the community group East Oxford Action.

When the final design was displayed last June, the overwhelming majority of those who was it supported it.

After formal consultation on the speed limit and new parking and loading restrictions, some changes were made to the loading arrangements.

The work will be funded partly by a £1m grant from the Department for Transport (DfT), as part of a nationwide project which aims to reduce accidents on 11 busy shopping streets in England.

The challenge set by DfT was to make the street safer and more attractive.

The cost of the maintenance scheme -- completely rebuilding the road from The Plain to Stockmore Street -- has been estimated to cost £425,000.