WORK has started on a £1.3m remodelling of Bicester’s town centre roads.

Plans were approved in September to make St John’s Street two-way, replace traffic lights with a roundabout at its junction with Queens Avenue, replace current traffic light crossings with zebra crossings and close off North Street and Roman Way to form a cul-de-sac.

A raised zebra crossing will also be installed near Manorsfield Road and pavements on the north side of St John’s Street will be widened.

Oxfordshire County Council has teamed up with town centre developer Sainsbury’s to do the work earlier than anticipated. It is expected to take eight months.

The first stage will focus on Queens Avenue and St Johns Street.

Between now and Christmas, kerbs on both sides of St John’s Street and the west side of Queens Avenue will be realigned, and bus laybys will be built in Queens Avenue.

After Christmas the roundabout at the junction of Queens Avenue, Field Street and St John’s Street will be built, footpaths in St John’s Street will be improved, and the bus stop in North Street will be dismantled.

Sainsbury’s contractors are also due to install the roundabout at the Manorsfield Road and St John’s Street junction before Easter as part of the town centre redevelopment.

Once that is in place St John’s Street will become two-way.

Final works will be at the Banbury and Buckingham Road roundabout where North Street and Roman Way will be closed off to create a cul-de-sac.

County council deputy leader Rodney Rose said: “I’m delighted that we’re in a position to get to work on this, having approved the plans just last month.

“With Sainsbury’s already carrying out their own work next to the site, it makes sense to work together to get the job done as swiftly and as efficiently as possible.”

A consultation over the changes met with a mixed response.

Businesses in North Street raised concerns they could harm trade and cause problems for deliveries and jams on Fields Street and Queens Avenue.

Residents in North Street and Roman Way welcomed the changes.

For enquiries during the work go to highways.enquiries@oxfordshire.gov.uk or call 0845 310 1111.