CONSTRUCTION of a long-awaited £12.5m relief road for Didcotcould start in 2017 as highways managers start planning the route.

Civic leaders say the Didcot Northern Perimeter Road is needed to ease traffic in the heavily congested town centre.

Last month, Didcot won Garden Town status from the government after drawing up a £1bn wish list of major transport projects.

South Oxfordshire District Council leader John Cotton said the perimeter road was top of the list. He added that it was a “very favourable” sign that the county council, as the highways authority, had started work on the first stages of planning the new road, which will run from the A4130 at Hadden Hill, and link up with Abingdon Road where it meets the Ladygrove ring road.

He added: “We need to take the pressure off Jubilee Way roundabout and the new road would certainly do that.

“We have had a conversation with the county council about funding and have looked at whether SODC could lend the county some money, or fund the project in another way and get the money back via a grant from the government – it could be Garden Town funding.”

Labour town councillor Margaret Davies said: “This is a very good sign that, at long last, the county council wants to get this relief road built. People in Didcot have been waiting for this road for 30 years – it would relieve traffic congestion on Broadway and at the Jubilee Way roundabout.

“Drivers would be able to get across town without being funnelled into the centre and if congestion does build up, there will now be an alternative route. This could be the first Garden Town project to get funding.”

County cabinet member for transport David Nimmo-Smith said earlier that the new road was needed.

Work is expected to start this year on the £50m second phase of the Orchard shopping centre, which will bring more traffic into the town.