Anyone travelling north on Stratton Way this week will have seen the warning sign: ‘Major Works on A4183 Severe Delays Expected Use Alt Route.‘ Between the town centre and the Lodge Hill junction, there were three separate sets of roadworks today.

From the Peachcroft roundabout up towards the A34 junction, two sets of temporary traffic lights are in place. One set is connected to the new housing development, the other to work on the A34 slip road. They are hopefully being coordinated so that traffic released from one doesn’t gridlock the other.

Closer to town, and more temporary, Abbott Road was being resurfaced today. Crews were working on the junction with the A4183, using manual stop/go boards while lorries moved and tarmac was laid.

It made for a slow journey along the A4183. The number A4183 isn’t very memorable. Oxford Road is easier. The A4183 used to be the A34 until 1973, when the dual carriageway opened and the old route through Abingdon got a new number. Sitting in the 4 zone between the A4 and A5, A4183 was used. This is where West Bromwich and Evesham come in. The A4182 is in West Bromwich and A4184 is in Evesham. So Abingdon’s Oxford Road sits between them in the sequence.

By the way, Evesham’s Regal Cinema is a sister venue to Abingdon’s Abbey Cinema, operated by the same team. So perhaps they are at home with the A4183.