Details of road works starting 9 January Old Road/Lime Walk

Phase 2 of the New Headington Transport Improvements Scheme will be starting on 09 January 2012.  The County Council will be carrying out traffic calming works at the side road junctions on Old Road in Headington and 2 junctions on London Road.  They will write to residents of each road where  they will be carrying out the works to inform them of the road works and the traffic management arrangements they have organised.
 
Road works are programmed as follows:
09 January to 17 January 2012 – junction entry treatments on Old Road (Valentia Rd, Finch Close and Highfield Avenue)
18 January to 27 January 2012 – junction entry treatments on Old Road (Bickerton Rd, Stapleton Rd) + new Zebra crossing on Old Road
30 January to 07 February 2012 – junction entry treatments Old Road/Lime Walk junction + London Road/Latimer Road junction
08 February to 17 February 2012 – junction entry treatment at London Road/Lime Walk junction
 
Works on Old Road will be carried out during ‘off-peak’ hours of 09.30 to 15.30.  Works will be carried out under temporary traffic signal control on Old Road in order to divert pedestrians out of the working area.  Pedestrian access will be maintained to the side roads however.  Side roads will be closed to through traffic for the duration of the works unless they are cul-de-sacs.
 
Works on London Road will involve diverting pedestrians away from the working area and into London Road.  Pedestrian access will be maintained.  They are not anticipating having to use off-peak traffic lights for works on the side road junction off London Road.  Side roads will be closed to through traffic for the duration of the works.
 
A local diversion route will be in operation during each of the road closures.

Please email us if you would like a map

Temporary road closures in Lime Walk area from January 9th

A temporary Traffic Regulation Order has been arranged to apply a temporary road closures to various junctions in the vicinity of Lime Walk.  The order is required to enable traffic calming works to be implemented.   Access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles, the works and those residents within the closure area, subject to the progress of the works.

 The works will commence on 9th January, it is anticipated that they will take a total of 52 days to complete, but individual locations will only be closed for shorter periods. The Order will close the following roads, at their junctions described, for a distance of 20 metres:

Bickerton Road, from its junction with Old Road

Finch Close, from its junction with Old Road

Highfield Avenue, from its junction with Old Road

Lime Walk, from its junction with London Road

Lime Walk, from its junction with Old Road

Latimer Road, from its junction with London Road

Stapleton Road, from its junction with Old Road

Valentia Road, from its junction with Old Road. 

Local signage will indicate when restrictions and alternative routes are operative. Exemptions are included for police, fire and ambulance services and for the works and for access to premises which are only accessible from the closed sections of road.

Further information may be obtained from Elio Astone (01865 815258).

Here is a map showing diversion routes

Lime Walk area diversion route

Update on Old Road works

The final road markings for the Old Road/The Slade/Windmill Road junction are still to be completed, including cycle symbols.  They haven’t been completed yet because of additional loop cutting which has been required.

The trench across Rock Edge is a temporary reinstatement (for the new traffic signal duct) – the sub-contractor will put in a permanent reinstatement.

The grass verge on Old Road (east)  will be temporarily fenced off at the top and bottom of the new cutting slope to allow the topsoil and grass seed to establish itself.

Old Road traffic works update

We have reported the state of the Old Road pavement to County officers as we believe that these need proper reinstatement – they are very uneven after having been dug up by utilities companies

The County Council is aiming to get the permanent signals at the junction of Old Road / The Slade /Windmill Road up and running on Friday 11 November.  The new vehicle detection loops installed as part of the junction upgrade works will need configuring in order to optimise the signals, therefore it will take a few days for the signals to settle down.

Concern about Rock Edge

Residents have contacted us because they are so concerned about the perceived ‘damage’ caused to Rock Edge Site of Special Scientific Interest by the County Council’s Old Road traffic management scheme works. The boundary has been dug into in order to make the footway wider with permission by Natural England.

The topsoiled bank is currently fenced off in order to let new grass seed bed in. This is to avoid the topsoil being trampled down the slope and spreading across the footway. Let’s hope it doesn’t rain too hard!

Bus route 10 diversion route

Thanks to Ross for comments confirming the no. 10 bus route diversion while the roadworks are in place.

This has now been confirmed by the County Officer too – see below

From our discussions with Stagecoach, they are apparently not using the traffic diversion route via York Road but rather continuing along The Slade, then Wood Farm Road, Masons’ Road and Titup Hall Drive.  Sorry for any confusion.

Timing of Old Road traffic management works

The County officer supervising the Old Road traffic management scheme has explained why these are taking place at this time of the year.

Unfortunately it was not possible to prepare the scheme to enable a summer start.  Carrying out this work solely at weekends would not help either.  Once the work commenced and the existing traffic signals were decommissioned the temporary signals need to be in place until the new permanent signals are ready to be commissioned.  This would extend this element of the works, together with the temporary traffic management for 10 weeks rather than the 4 envisaged and extend the overall programme by a further 6 weeks also.

2012 scheme:outbound bus lane for London Rd.

We are grateful to County Cllr Roz Smith for sending us the following information from County Traffic Planners:

OCC’s successful bid for money from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) includes £500,000 towards an outbound bus lane on London Road (total cost £1 million).  The length of road in question is from the end of Headington shops to the Gladstone Road bus stop from where there is already a short length of outbound bus lane up to Green Road Roundabout.

The programme for the bus lane is as follows:

  • Oct 11 – Jan 12 Outline design
  • Feb 12 – April 12 Consultation
  • May 12 – Sept 12 Detailed design
  • Oct 12 Scheme approval
  • Jan 13 – April 13  Scheme preparation
  • May 13 – Sept 13 Construction

This is an indicative schedule only at this stage.