Work has finally got under way to repair a road which has been closed to motorists for four months.

Engineers are replacing an underground culvert in Benson Lane, Crowmarsh.

A section of the brickwork in the culvert collapsed last October, leaving the road unsupported and unsafe for traffic.

There was a possibility that another section of adjacent culvert might have collapsed too, a spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council said.

Ian Hudspeth, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “We have been doing a lot of preparation work to rectify this situation and we’re now in a position to begin repair work in earnest.

“It may appear to passers-by that we have closed the road for no reason, as at surface level there’s no sign of any damage.

“However, there are significant problems underground. In effect, if we had allowed vehicles to travel over this section of road, the surface could have collapsed without warning.

“Sadly, it’s quite a lengthy job but a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes already to help get it done as soon as possible and, just as importantly, to as high a standard as possible.”

Motorists are being urged to avoid Benson Lane while the work, expected to take eight weeks, is completed. The road is expected to reopen at the end of March.

Vehicles wanting to travel north should join the A4074 at its junction with the A4130 Crowmarsh Hill roundabout.

A temporary footbridge will be provided so that cyclists and pedestrians can pass the cordoned-off section of the road at the culvert during the repairs.