SNARL-ups will be getting worse on Oxford's Botley Road this summer as the next round of roadworks begins.

Commuters can expect long delays on one of the city's busiest roads for up to 16 weeks when stage two of the improvement scheme starts in May.

The £850,000 scheme between Binsey Lane and the railway station will widen the road for bus and cycle lanes.

There will also be two new pedestrian footbridges on either side of the existing St Frideswide Bridge.

Changes to the junction with Ferry Hinksey Road will try to cut delays caused by traffic turning on to Osney Mead industrial estate and extra pedestrian crossings will be put outside the White House pub and in Ferry Hinksey Road.

Alan Bloodworth, the county's assistant principal engineer, said: "Any delays will be unavoidable but we're trying to minimise them with advanced signs. The roads won't be closed but there will be cones and traffic signals."

Drivers are advised to use alternative routes into the city via Woodstock Road and Abingdon Road.

But Mr Bloodworth added: "This is one of the main roads into the city and we know from past experience that considerable numbers will put up with the delays."

An earlier phase of the scheme involved improvements between the A34 flyover and Binsey Lane.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.