MOTORISTS in Oxfordshire face long delays when the A34 is cut to one lane each way tomorrow.

A 40mph speed limit will also be imposed between the West Ilsley junction and the A417 overbridge, near Didcot, to allow a £3m resurfacing scheme to be carried out.

The work is scheduled to finish by mid-March, but senior engineers have warned it could overrun if bad weather strikes.

The Highways Agency warned motorists to expect major delays.

The contraflow system comes into effect on Monday and northbound slip roads at the West Ilsley and Chilton interchanges will be closed when traffic is in contraflow on the southbound carriageway.

Signed diversion routes will be in place.

The man in charge of the project, Peter Scott, said teams would work round the clock, but the carriageway needed to be totally rebuilt.

"The last work was carried out five or six years ago, but it has started to fail. This time we have said 'enough is enough'. It has reached the end of its shelf life after 32 years."

Mr Scott said the new surface would provide a smoother ride for the 69,000 vehicles that use that stretch of the A34 every day. It would also mean fewer roadworks during the next few years.

Chilton resident Mark Vickers said it would add to the pressure on the village roads between Didcot and the A34 via West Hagbourne - "It will be chaos for a few months."

Source: Witney Gazette.

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