Last week I reported that West St Helen Street had closed. Although it reopened on Friday after some initial digging, the road closed again on Sunday.

The current works are more extensive, with four deep trenches dug down to the gas mains.

Winsmore Lane, another road in the town centre, is also closed. This could be Abingdon’s narrowest traffic road, carrying single-lane traffic to the back of some businesses and a few residences. The closure is for electricity works, likely connected to the redevelopment of the former Lloyds Bank building.

Businesses and residents can still access Winsmore Lane via St Edmunds Lane, where a bollard has been temporarily removed to allow entry.

Winsmore Lane takes its name from a family who owned part of Banbury Court until 1713 (1). Banbury Court was a substantial property of medieval origin located in this area near the River Ock – not the Banbury Court flats on the Vineyard.

1 – Baker, Agnes C. (1957). Historic Streets of Abingdon. Abingdon: The Abbey Press, p. 28.

The Lodge Hill interchange works are intended to improve access to the A34 from north Abingdon and reduce traffic going through Abingdon town centre. There will be south facing slip roads, two roundabouts to control traffic on and off the A34, mitigation measures intended to limit any increase in rat-running through nearby villages, and improvements to existing lay-bys along the A34.

Work continues on creating the south-facing slip roads. The view from the footpath bridge towards Sunningwell, looking north, shows the line of what will become the new off-slip road.

Most of the slip-road route looks muddy as the land has been cleared and levelled. One mature oak tree has been kept and surrounded by fencing to protect its roots during the works.

Looking from the A4183 bridge (without the aid of a drone), extensive yellow fencing marks out walkways and other protected areas. Beyond them, the start of the new south-facing on-slip can be seen.

To allow the installation of narrow lanes — needed for the safety of the workforce — sections of the A34 are being closed overnight between the Hinksey Hill and Marcham interchanges. Closures will be in place from 9pm to 6am on the following dates:
* Southbound only: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January
* Northbound only: Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 January

Residents and local politicians from Abingdon have long campaigned for these slip roads. The scheme was made possible through funding made available as a result of the large-scale housing developments in North Abingdon. The view south from the Sunningwell footpath bridge shows some of the housing and how close it is to the A34.

The rolling programme of gas-pipe replacement has now reached Caldecott Road and St Helen’s Wharf. The road at St Helen Wharf has been closed and that could last up to 20th January.

At Caldecott Road, the pavement has been dug away right down to the services. Bright barriers come between pedestrians and the excavation, closing some footways. Nearby residents, at Cygnet Court, some of whom use wheelchairs or mobility scooters, have been warned that access will be difficult.

Beside St Helen’s Church the disruption is more dramatic. The road is completely blocked by barriers. There are warning cones, and Road Closed signs back to the Iron Bridge. Quite a few motorists miss the first Road Closed sign and then turn back.

As a result, West St Helen Street is much quieter this morning, after a night when digging could be heard until about 9 pm.

Some people have been puzzled by the traffic cones blocking off a stretch of Wilsham Road that’s usually used for free parking by people walking into town. One motorist asked me today what was happening, especially as the cones have been there for two or three weeks with no sign of work.

The answer is on the windscreens of a few cars that haven’t moved since the weekend. Notices say that essential gas works will take place from 1st to 14th December, and there will be no parking on Wilsham Road between Preston Road and Caldecott Road during that time.

These works are part of SGN’s ongoing programme to replace aging metal gas mains in Abingdon, something I first covered here in 2023. The old pipes are being replaced by plastic ones expected to last around 80 years. Presumably the new pipes will also allow the transition from natural gas to hydrogen, a project SGN are trying out in Fife, Scotland.