The traffic chaos that engulfed roads around Oxford on Tuesday after a serious accident on the A34 has sparked new calls for a study of ways to improve the congested route.

Although the total cost of Tuesday's incident to the county's economy is put at up to £10m, the Highways Agency says no improvements can be expected before 2016.

Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell said he would ask the Government to produce a study on the Oxfordshire section of the A34 when he meets Local Government Minister Keith Hill after Christmas.

Motorists endured hours of delays on Tuesday after an early morning smash that involved three lorries near the Botley interchange.

A 44-tonne articulated lorry, travelling south, lost control and came to rest on its side, blocking the carriageway. A car transporter collided with the overturned lorry, trapping the driver in his cab. Then another 20-tonne lorry collided with the wreckage. This too, ended up on its side.

The A34 had to be shut between the Pear Tree and Botley interchanges. The northbound stretch re- opened at 8.20am, but delays in removing one of the three mangled lorries meant police were not able to re- open the southbound carriageway until just after 10pm.

Motorists were diverted via the Oxford ring road and there was a knock-on effect around the county as drivers tried to find alternative routes.

AA spokesman Rebecca Rees said the A34 was carrying more cars than it was designed for. She called on the Government to consider widening it to three lanes with a hard shoulder.

Christopher Quinton, of Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "It is long overdue for the A34 to be converted into a motorway."

Mr Mitchell said an A34 study, focusing on Oxford- shire, should be the first step, but warned: "It is difficult to find a solution to satisfy people. You simply cannot widen the road at Botley.

"You are faced with either rerouting it or demolishing part of Botley.

"Until you have a study, you have no chance of a proper solution."

A report by the council's principal planning transport planner, Paresh Shingadia, suggests that the A34 is a low priority under Government road plans.

His report says: "The Highways Agency does not have any plans to carry out improvements to increase capacity before 2016. The agency has stated that it does not have the authority from the Secretary of State and the regional transport strategy to investigate or implement any schemes that would increase capacity. We are making strong representations to adopt a more positive approach to dealing with the transport issues on the A34."