The A34 Lodge Hill Interchange scheme has secured full funding. The additional funding needed came from Homes England, and Pauline Schaffer, Director of Infrastructure Funding at Homes England, says the project will unlock 820 high-quality homes.

Construction is anticipated to start in summer 2024, and last approximately two years. The project will add south-facing slip roads to the A34 at Lodge Hill. Oxfordshire County Council approved the scheme in September.

The relevant press releases are:

A34 Lodge Hill scheme to be fully funded (23 Oct 2023)

Works to improve junction capacity at Lodge Hill given planning permission (11 Sep 2023)

The new 20 mph and 30 mph signs have started to be put up in Abingdon. The speed limits in Abingdon will be 20 mph in residential areas and 30 mph on the ring road. Some of the main routes into town will change from 30 mph to 20 mph within residential areas. This includes Drayton Road (pictured), Marcham Road, Wootton Road, Oxford Road, Radley Road, and Audlett Drive.

The new signs are being put up gradually. The legal order will be enacted a few days before all the new signs are in place. This will allow the council to enforce the new speed limits from the start.

Speed indicator devices and other enforcement measures will ensure the new speed limits are adhered to. This will include fixed cameras, mobile cameras, and police patrols.

Oxfordshire County Council has approved seven more 20mph applications, including Abingdon. In total 72 schemes have been approved, and 53 installations have been completed, including Witney.

The detailed decision for Abingdon says ‘The Cabinet Member for Highway Management APPROVED the proposed introduction of 20mph and 30mph speed limits in Abingdon as advertised but with subsequent minor relaxations as outlined in paragraph 19, and providing that the text headed “Drayton Road” in the table at paragraph 19 be removed and replaced with “The 20mph limit is proposed to start immediately south of Mill Road”.

Paragraph 19 had been introduced as a compromise. Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council wanted a blanket 20 mph limit on all but the peripheral road. The bus companies, worried about journey times, objected. So the 20 mph zone will start on major roads as follows:
* Oxford Road: south of Norman Avenue
* Drayton Road: south of Mill Road
* Radley Road: east of Daisy Bank
* Wootton Road: north of Northcourt Road junction
* Bridge Street (pictured above): at the existing 30 mph limit.

The scheme is free to town and parish councils, with the county council funding the sign changes. Town and parish councils are expected to fund any traffic calming measures or speed-activated signs that may be required to support the new limits in their areas. I believe the town council has money for speed signs in the budget.