OXFORD’S tide of roadworks continues, with news that two major schemes will overlap for most of 2011.

Six months of disruption will begin at Heyford Hill from April 11, with 40 weeks of work starting on Iffley Road a month later, compounding the misery for thousands of commuters.

There is no question the work needs to be done.

The Heyford Hill roundabout is a major traffic pinch point and the work, which would allow cars through its centre, will add much-needed capacity to the roads.

In these cash-strapped times, when the county’s roads are littered with potholes, any repair work is a welcome relief and we look forward to seeing the work on Iffley Road completed.

Our main concern is that the projects do not over-run.

Maintaining the county’s road network is no easy task, but Oxfordshire County Council, as highways authority, must do everything it can to ensure they come in on time.

Drivers will show little patience if we are still running stories about long queues at the tail end of 2012.