DRIVERS suffered major delays today as the £44m project to replace the Wolvercote Viaduct reached a vital stage.

As the southbound bridge deck was slid into place over the A34, drivers were diverted on the ring road and there were major hold-ups in the city during the early afternoon.

However, the Highways Agency was only able to open the southbound A34 two hours later than it had hoped.

Kelly Logan, a spokesman for the Highways Agency, said: “After the work was completed, the traffic management was removed from the road by about 3pm. The increase in traffic on the ring road did cause delays.”

The A34 Wolvercote Viaduct – originally built in the 1960s – has been demolished and completely replaced by the Highways Agency, with a new structure designed to last 120 years.

Project manager Ian Johnson said: “It involved moving the southbound bridge deck, which weighs 5,000 tonnes and is 250m long, 16m from its current position alongside the A34, to alongside the northbound carriageway which was finished last year.”

The northbound carriageway was closed at 10pm and is due to reopen again at 6am tomorrow.