£3.2 Million Project Completes Improvements to Woodstock Road in Oxford

Strategic Insights -

A new £3.2 million project to enhance cycling, walking, and wheeling infrastructure along Woodstock Road in Oxford has been finished. The scheme, led by Oxfordshire County Council and funded through the government's Housing and Growth Deal, focuses on road safety and sustainable travel. The upgrades include improved and wider crossings at side roads, shorter distances at crossings for pedestrians and wheelchair users, and steeper ramps for vehicles entering side roads.

Key Takeaways:

  • The £3.2 million project aims to improve road safety and sustainable travel along Woodstock Road, a key route between Wolvercote Roundabout and St Giles in Oxford.
  • The upgrades include improved and wider crossings at side roads, shorter distances at crossings for pedestrians and wheelchair users, and steeper ramps for vehicles entering side roads.
  • The project also features a new parallel crossing south of Bevington Road, an extended off-road cycle path between Frenchay Road and St Margaret's Road, and a full-time bus stop clearway north of St Giles.
  • A parking bay outside Belsyre Court has been relocated to make room for an informal pedestrian crossing.
  • The project was designed by M Group, the council's principal highways maintenance contractor.
  • The project has been shortlisted in two categories at the Highways Magazine's annual Highways Awards - Active Travel Scheme of the Year and Small Project of the Year.
  • The project's objective is to give people genuine options to use sustainable ways of traveling on one of the major roads in the city.
  • The scheme introduces safer and wider footway crossings to enhance access into Oxford city centre, improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.

Statistics:

  • The project was funded through the government's Housing and Growth Deal.
  • The upgrades include improved and wider crossings at 6 side roads.
  • The total area of landscaped areas renovated is 215m².
  • The project incorporates careful material selection achieving measurable carbon savings.
  • The bus lane reversal between Wolvercote (A40) and Squitchey Lane is a six-month trial.

Sources:

  • Oxfordshire County Council
  • Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for place, environment, and climate action, Judy Roberts
  • M Group Civil Projects, senior project manager, Craig Buzzard
  • Highways Magazine's annual Highways Awards