PLANS for a facelift of the A34 to keep it in good condition through Oxfordshire have been announced.

The Highways Agency has been given permission to impose traffic restrictions on the busy trunk road through Oxfordshire over the coming year.

Work will include repainting road markings, repairing kerbs, cutting back vegetation and mending reflective road studs.

The project will cover the section of the dual carriageway between West Ilsley in Berkshire and the A34/M40 junction at Wendlebury, near Bicester.

A number of temporary traffic restrictions have been approved by Transport Secretary Justine Greening, to ensure the safety of road workers while keeping traffic on the move. These will include:

Temporary overnight 40mph speed limits on both carriageways at work sites.

Temporary 10mph limits where traffic is escorted through work sites in a convoy system.

Overnight overtaking prohibited in places.

Slip roads to and from the southbound carriageway at the Islip interchange shut during work there.

Nathan Thomas, who runs Headington company Hilltop Chauffeurs, said the work was badly needed.

He added: “It’s a major trunk road through Oxfordshire and we’re on it practically every day. Such a high volume of traffic uses the A34 that it probably wears it out quite dramatically, especially the lorries.

“The fact that it is taking place at night is a blessing for us. It would be absolute chaos if they did the work during the day.”

The Transport Secretary’s order will come into force next Monday and is valid for 12 months. A Highways Agency spokes- man said it would be carrying the work out in stages and would probably only enforce restrictions on 30 nights of the year.