Work is set to start on new road safety measures and bus lanes on a major road in Oxford.

Oxfordshire County Council hopes that Woodstock Road will “benefit significantly” from the “pedestrian-friendly” design and planned improvements that will start next week.

The project will provide pedestrian crossings and junction safety improvements between Bevington Road and St. Margaret's Road.

READ MORE: Baroness says Botley Road closure is 'breach of Equality Act'

It will also see an off-road cycle path built on Woodstock Road between Frenchay Road and St. Margaret’s Road.

A zebra crossing in Woodstock Road near Bevington Road will also be built.

And under an experimental traffic regulation order, there will be a reversal in the direction of the bus lane (southbound to northbound) between Squitchey Lane and Wolvercote Roundabout under an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO).

Work is due to start on Monday, August, 12 and the council says residents and businesses are being informed by letter two weeks before the start of the work on the junction that would affect them.

The letter will provide details about traffic management, diversion routes and the expected duration of the work.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for infrastructure and development strategy said: “I am pleased to see the improvements on Woodstock Road progressing.

“Safer crossings, better cycleways and improved bus journey times are part of our commitment to give people genuine options to use sustainable ways of travelling on one of the major roads in the city.”

The first side street junctions to be worked on are Field House Drive, St Margaret's Road West and Bevington Road, with work starting on Monday, August 12 and expected to continue for five to seven weeks, depending on location.

READ MORE: Homeless man jailed after setting fire to side of nightclub

The duration of the work may change due to weather conditions and other factors such as utilities, the county council has said. 

The bus lane reversal is scheduled to start on September 2 and is expected to take approximately six weeks.

The measure has been informed by initial modelling for the planned traffic filters trial and is fully supported by local bus operators.

The reversal will be implemented as a trial under an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO), and there will be a six-month consultation once the trial begins.

The changes along Woodstock Road are informed by the county council’s local transport and connectivity plan and aim to increase walking, wheeling and cycling.

The changes also aim to make walking and cycling safer, as well as improving public transport journey times, enhance public space; and to help residents and employees travel in and out of the city more sustainably.

This is part one of the planned improvement works on walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure along the Woodstock Road corridor.

The full programme of work is expected to continue until the end of March 2025.

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/

As a digital subscriber you will get:      

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website   
  • Advert-light access       
  • Reader rewards       
  • Full access to our app

About the author

Rob is a digital reporter who covers a wide range of topics.

He joined the Oxford Mail in February 2023 having previously been at sister paper The Bucks Free Press for two years. 

Rob completed a Sports Journalism degree before earning his NCTJ Diploma at Darlington College and can be found on X at @RobertFolker.