MONTHS of traffic problems and delays on Oxford's Botley Road look set to be over after Thames Water removed temporary traffic lights which had been installed to allow it to fix a broken pipe.

Work to repair the pipe, which was damaged by an Environment Agency boat beneath Osney Bridge in April, has already taken four months, with motorists complaining of the slow progress of the repair job.

At their worst, traffic queues extended the full length of Botley Road and all the way to Beaumont Street in the city centre.

A Thames Water spokesperson apologised for the delays, saying: “We’re sorry for any disruption caused by our emergency repairs on Osney Bridge in Botley Road and we’d like to thank our customers for their patience during this complex and vital repair.

“Our engineers have completed work to install a temporary bypass pipe over the bridge, meaning we can continue to supply water to the 22,000 homes fed by the pipe under the bridge, which was damaged by a boat.

“While we carried out this work we had to keep one lane of the road closed, using traffic lights to control traffic, so our engineers could work safely, make deliveries and carry out vital checks to the pipework.

"We’ve now removed the traffic lights and reopened the lane.”

The Environment Agency boat had been heading to Osney Lock to remove an obstruction on April 18 when it caught the water pipe hanging under the bridge.

Another boat was said to have hit the pipe shortly after the prang.

Work to fix the damaged main began in May, with engineers digging deep holes either side of the bridge in order to connect a new pipe to the network.

That construction work was expected to take three weeks.

One local worker who commuted down the affected road daily described the ‘chaos’ of the traffic delays. Another resident called for better communication from those carrying out the construction works.

Susanna Pressel, ward councillor for Osney and St Thomas on Oxford City Council, said: “I’m getting a huge volume of complaints about the traffic hold-ups. The hundreds of poor people who live in nearby streets off Botley Road have to wait a long time to turn out of and back into their streets.

“I’m also getting complaints from cyclists who feel unsafe because they think that priority is given to cars and from many people who are worried when impatient drivers jump the red lights.

“And one of the biggest worries is about the air pollution caused by all the idling engines. Above all, people are furious that they very often go over the bridge and see no sign of anyone working.”

Thames Water said today it was writing to customers living near to the bridge to let them know the traffic lights have been removed and to thank them for their patience while we completed this emergency repair. 

The company added: "We’ve had to lay the bypass pipe along the cycle lane heading into Oxford, and we’re sorry for any inconvenience this causes. Both footpaths are open, as is the cycle lane heading out of the city."