Oxfordshire County Council has authorised the long-awaited improvements to the Lodge Hill Interchange on the A34. See their news item at https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/works-to-improve-junction-capacity-at-lodge-hill-given-planning-permission/.
The work will involve the addition of new south-facing slip roads to the A34.
The junction currently only has north-facing slips.
The improvements are partly funded by contributions from developers, the Growth Deal, and the Department of Levelling Up. However, a funding gap was discovered, and Oxfordshire County Council is in talks with Homes England to secure additional funding.
The project was a condition for the new housing in North Abingdon and is expected to reduce traffic through Abingdon.
Hallelujah!
I wonder how long it will take to start and then complete the project. Given the present nonsense at the Caldecott Road/Drayton Road roundabout, this could still drag on for years.
The chickens haven’t all been counted yet so I’m not holding my breath … ‘a funding gap was discovered’ … and it’s not been closed yet.
Might we look forward to the return of the ‘inner Abingdon ring-road’ with Stratton Way becoming one-way once more?
Oh wow, I must be dreaming.
Recall the old excuse for not putting one in being that Abingdonians would just use it as a rat run from North to South. Like who?
Back when I worked in South Oxfordshire, having a southbound slip would have cut my commuting time in half as I wouldn’t have had to queue along Dunmore Rd etc every morning.
It’s definitely going to ease some pressure on the “McDonald’s roundabout” area I think, as people from the North of the town don’t have to go round Copenhagen Drive etc to head south on the A34 anymore.
what will people complain about now?
20mph speed limits
Poorly run out door pool
Poor car parking
Poor traffic management in town
Poor traffic management south
Lack of youth services
The Gaol fiasco
The cinema saga
State of the precinct
State of the streets and pavements
Potholes
+ the dilapidated and ugly state of the old Upper Reaches Hotel site. 🙂
It is appalling that a beautiful building is left to rot]
So the new 20mph zones imposed in Abingdon are really a fantasy – at best they have made a minor difference in reducing overall speed – those that used to do 40+ in in 30 zone now seem to be doing 30+ in a 20 zone. I have witnessed 100’s of vehicles still driving at 30+ (cars/vans/delivery vehicles/buses/motor bikes) etc. Must of cost the ‘implementers’ of this scheme thousands for the new speed signs and the staff to change them. Who is actually going to monitor or enforce these changes??
Bob….why would anyone want to enforce these ludicrous changes?!
So I’ve seen varying reports about this but isn’t the funding gap due to the government withdrawing funds they had committed to the project?
That is what I’m led to believe as well…a £13m pledge was pulled at some point and now the whole project is stuck because of that issue!
Daniel: Good bullet points but you forgot the Upper Reaches.
Kris: Top marks, you highlighted the fact that the conversion of a building into a hotel was prioritised over the renovation of an existing hotel was allowed to happen. Times change priorities change but the bigger picture reveals a derelict hotel as you enter the town.
Bob: The signs might be up (mostly) but the implementation isn’t complete as yet. You’ll have to wait until ALL the signs are up for ‘enforcement’ to start… if you drive up the Oxford Road you’ll see the ones before Norman Avenue aren’t there yet. The ring of steel isn’t fully in place yet so we can do what the F we wan’t within the confines of the existing 30 limit.
Reading all the negative comments on our lovely vibrant town is depressing but quite typical of the chatterers of middle England. People should look at some of the problems faced by towns in other areas such as some of those I know in the north east.
However I would thank those who constantly moan of curing me of any political ambitions- being a councillor is not something I would want to do!
I like to look at towns similar to Abingdon that are instead doing really well. I wanna be like them.
A town, A community, A-spire