Trial work is to begin next week on Oxford's Eastern Bypass where a £600,000 concrete crash barrier is due to be built in the new year.

Oxfordshire County Council will start digging trial holes, to access high power underground electricity cables, water and drainage pipes, on October 3.

The lane closest to the central reservation will be closed southbound from Kiln Lane to Horspath Driftway until October 10, and a 40mph speed limit will be imposed in both directions for the duration of the work.

County councillor David Robertson, cabinet member for transport, said: "We are doing this work to make sure we know exactly what we will be confronted with when the job begins. We'll aim to get the work done quickly so as to cause as little disruption as possible to road users."

The project is being carried out after the Eastern Bypass crash in May in which three boys and a motorist died.

Marshall Haynes, Josh Bartlett and Liam Hastings, all 13, were killed when the Citroen Xsara they were travelling in careered across the road into oncoming traffic, also killing motorist Howard Hillsdon, 21.

A petition urging road bosses to install a crash barrier was later launched by Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, who had called for barriers to be provided four years ago after an accident left Littlemore resident Adrian Bull paralysed.

Hundreds of people signed up in support. Mr Smith said: "I welcome this work getting under way. The sooner the barrier and speed limits are in place, the better. It's a tribute to the families affected by the awful tragedy."

Laura East, the former girlfriend of Mr Hillsdon, also welcomed the start of the project.

She said: "Obviously I'm really pleased it's going ahead, although I still think it's really sad that it wasn't in place before on such a dangerous road."

The council decided to install the barrier earlier this month. Mr Robertson said: "If we didn't do it and it did happen again, then we would have no defence as a council."