Two Road closures in Abingdon town centre

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

Flooding on the Tesco Footpath After Recent Heavy Rain

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Tesco Footpath
The footpath beside the River Ock to Tesco is flooded. At the Tesco end the path is submerged, with water flowing across it.  This follows the heavy rainfall of the 15th and 17th January.
Tesco Footpath
The fields near Tesco are also flooded, as water flows over the banks of the River Ock and Sandford Brook.
Tesco Footpath
Higher water can also be seen in the flood basins near Tesco. They were cleared last year and made more visible. Despite this, there does not appear to be any threat to the Tesco car park.
Tesco Footpath
It is also interesting to see from the footpath that the field between the River Ock and the site of the new Unicorn School, formerly Ock Mill and the Premier Inn, has been cleared of willows and other trees and bushes.

News from Nags Head Island

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I was walking around Nags Head Island when somebody asked whether I had seen the otter. He said one visits there.

What I did see was a sunken boat called Wreckless, with a notice fixed to the cabin that began: ‘NOTICE TO REMOVE SUNK, STRANDED OR ABANDONED VESSEL.’

Beneath Abingdon Bridge the water was swirling – dull brown with carried mud. The river is running higher than yesterday and has spilled over the banks in places.

I was also told this evening that Abingdon Bridge is to close for a few days in March. For some, that will mean finding another way to work at Culham that doesn’t involve driving across the bridge. The structure has already seen long restrictions: first with a lane closed during the Covid shutdown, and later when strengthening work was carried out on one of the arches. This time, I understand, inspection work is planned for the other arches.

Lodge Hill Slip Roads Progress (and overnight A34 closures)

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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.