TRAFFIC ground to a near-standstill in the centre of Abingdon yesterday morning because of roadworks.

The White Horse roundabout, at the junction of Marcham Road, Ock Street, Drayton Road and Spring Road, was made a one-way system for the work.

A four-way traffic light control system meant only traffic coming from one direction could move at any time.

And at rush hour, queues in Marcham Road stretched back to Marcham interchange and in Drayton Road as far south as Preston Road.

In Ock Street traffic stretched back to the town centre and there were queues in Spring Road as well.

The roadworks began a week ago and are due to finish next week but yesterday was the first day of the new traffic control system at the roundabout. The work is creating two new pedestrian crossings in Marcham Road and Ock Street designed to ease traffic jams in the area.

The crossings will replace the existing one in Marcham Road immediately west of Drayton Road.

They were ordered by a planning inspector to mitigate the effect of a new 158-home estate, which was granted permission in Drayton Road.

Abingdon Town Council and many residents objected to the new estate on the grounds it would create unacceptable extra traffic.

The planning inspector said he hoped people using the two crossings regularly would break up queues of cars, and allow cars trying to join Marcham Road and Ock Street from Drayton Road to get in.