COUNCIL officials lifted a one-way restriction on a town centre bridge after some drivers, wanting to avoid a long diversion, caused traffic chaos by ignoring the ban.

Overnight closures of Drayton Road in Abingdon between Ock Street and Mill Road began on Friday as part of six planned overnight closures to carry out repairs to the surface and kerb.

However, motorists trying to avoid a potential eight-mile diversion via Milton were spotted cutting the wrong way over the narrow St Helen’s Wharf Bridge, causing problems with cars legally coming in the other direction.

Town councillor Mike Badcock said when he arrived at the iron bridge, cars were trying to speed through the one-way system.

He added: “It was carnage down there. Some people were going quite fast trying to get over and around the corner quickly – it was asking for trouble.”

Mr Badcock and the town council wrote to the county council expressing their fears last month, but the roadworks went ahead as planned.

Drayton Road was reduced to one lane when the repairs got under way from Monday to Friday last week, with temporary traffic lights being installed to manage the traffic.

But the road shut at 8pm on Friday for the first of six nights of repairs, which finish this week, and motorists were advised to make an eight-mile diversion along the B4017, then on to the A4130 to Milton and then on to the A34 to avoid the roadworks.

The X1 and X2 bus services are going via Sutton Courtenay, Culham and the A415 when the road is closed overnight, but the 41, 42 and 43 Thames Travel services are not affected.

Town councillor Alice Badcock, who is Mr Badcock’s daughter, went down to the iron bridge in St Helen’s Wharf after Drayton Road was closed and saw about 40 cars trying to drive the wrong way over to avoid the diversion.

She said: “I saw the sheer volume of traffic going over the bridge – there were at least 40 cars going over.”

Following Friday’s disruption, captured on camera by taxi driver Colin Dobson, Mr Badcock wrote to the county council asking the bridge be opened in both directions.

And on Monday, the county installed temporary traffic lights to operate during the overnight Drayton Road closures, controlled manually from 8pm to 11pm. County council spokesman Paul Smith admitted : “In hindsight, this should have been done from the start but once the problem was reported we acted very quickly and rectified the situation.”

Ms Badcock said: “I am absolutely delighted because we have campaigned for nearly two weeks saying something had to be done.

“The diversion route was totally unacceptable.”

The overnight closures are due to end on Friday.