THE road is busier now than it is in these pictures.

They were taken in 1990 when the A34 was being laid – in concrete.

It was said it would be a cheaper and longer-lasting surface.

But as long-suffering residents living near the road remember to their cost, rubber on concrete makes a terrific din.

After a long battle, the Department of Transport agreed to resurface it in asphalt, finally admitting that the decision to lay concrete was a mistake.

These pictures were taken by Ian Gedling, of Islip Road, Bletchingdon, on or near the B4027 Bletchingdon-Islip flyover.

He writes: “As you will see, the machine that crept along putting down that horrible concrete surface was called The Fergie Flyer.”