COMMENT: It's time to think again about an upgrade for A34 (From The Oxford Times)

COMMENT: It's time to think again about an upgrade for A34

10:30am Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News

NIGHT-TIME drivers and people living in the city will have a deep intake of breath today when they read today about the major roadworks planned for the A34 from Monday.

The Highways Agency is starting a £2m resurfacing scheme between Kennington and Pear Tree that is scheduled to finish a few days before Christmas.

While the work will be carried out between 9pm and 5.30am, this will still affect thousands of motorists.

There will, inevitably, be a knock-on effect for people living in the north and south of the city as drivers, including the lorries to and from the South Coast, pick their own way to avoid the work.

Yet we must remember that this work is absolutely necessary because the A34 has such a fundamental effect on our city's traffic network.

If it is not in good order, the risk of accidents is increased, and a crash on the A34 inevitably means hours of gridlock in Oxford.

The real shame is those in charge of the A34 are still engaged in their mend and make do strategy.

We are on record that the A34 must, at some stage, be upgraded to some form of motorway to minimise the impact it can have on our county.