Reopening the old Drayton slip road onto the A34 has sometimes been talked about as a way of reducing traffic coming into Abingdon on the Drayton Road – where traffic queues are a long running issue.

The slip road was being used by travelers for a spell at the start of the year. Since then interlocking concrete blocks have been put across the entrance and adjoining fences.

Two week ago the blocks were removed and construction traffic entered the slip way. The slipway is not being opened up, as I at first hoped, or being blocked up for good. At the A34 end the slipway has been used as an unofficial layby on the A34, and the work is to make it an official layby. The existing gates will be replaced with heavy duty gates and the interlocking concrete blocks put back.

Overnight work to resurface the double mini roundabout, at the junction of Drayton Road and Marcham Road, is two thirds done. The roundabouts themselves have been resurfaced and painted and the bottom of Spring Road has been resurfaced. The final night for work is tonight. This is the view after it was reopened this morning.

Lots of people on East and West St Helen Street, in the town centre, forgot that Monday had been a Bank Holiday and that the recycling collection was put back a day. Throughout Friday the pavements were stacked with bins and bags.

I spoke with Newcomer yesterday and he said it was a pleasure to cycle down the Northcourt Road with the new surface and road markings.

The fresh markings could not be clearer.

The Highway Code says “Double yellow lines mean no waiting at any time, unless there are signs that specifically indicate seasonal restrictions. “ There is not mistaking these double yellow lines whether straight or curved.

There are letterings, some of them familiar like the BUS STOP sign.

But this is the first time I have seen FOOTWAY across a junction where the footpath has to pass.

Does this give priority to the pedestrian over the vehicle?

“KEEP CLEAR, KEEP CLEAR!”.