Two pedestrian crossings are replacing one crossing here in Abingdon. A developer came up with the scheme, and a planning inspector gave it the thumbs up, and so now it is nearly built.

The 2nd replacement pedestrian crossing, at the top of Ock Street, has caused a lot of traffic problems while being built. And has made it more difficult for pedestrians to cross the roads.

It also caused a lot of controversy before being built. It is being put in place to allow 158 dwellings to be built on Drayton Road, and should ensure traffic problems are no worse, after the additional housing, than they were before.

Local people wanted no more developments in South Abingdon without better infrastructure. Local people argued that the development was in the wrong place but that did not sway the planning inspector.

Google have an animation, today, to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the first electric traffic lights.

101 years on, resurfacing continues on Drayton Road in Abindgon between 10pm and 6am, and Oxfordshire County Council has asked the contractor to put in electric traffic lights to allow two way traffic at St Helen’s Wharf –

after the anarchy of the weekend when people were asked to drive a few miles round, and didn’t.

There was a sign near St Helen’s Church trying to stop motorists going towards the Iron Bridge in the wrong direction. Traffic heading from South Abingdon is allowed over the bridge one way. The road is too narrow in two places for anything more.

There are two bridges connecting South Abingdon with the north, and the the other bridge on Drayton Road is closed overnight for resurfacing work. So traffic heading south had to find another way round.

But a lot of cars, going south, were risking going the wrong way over the Iron Bridge. That led to some tooting of horns.

When the police arrived they told several car drivers off for coming over the Iron Bridge the wrong way. They then started turned cars back before they could break the law.

Full moon tonight. There have been two full moons this calendar month. Thanks to Peter, from Abingdon Camera Club, who sent me this picture

The Drayton Road between Mill Road and the double mini roundabout will be resurfaced during the school holidays.

From this shot near the Ladygrove Meadow (and summer fair) it does appear that the surface is cracking up. This section of road has been flooded, and had to carry more traffic than most.

More is to come with the Morland Gardens development pending. The arguments of local people, ALL local Councillors and the local MP, Nicola Blackwood, who know the Drayton Road traffic problems, have had no effect, against this particular development.

Oxfordshire County Council need to look deeper than resurfacing to fix Drayton Road.