Safety improvement plan for junction 'huge win'

Long-awaited safety improvements are to be made to a junction on the A40.

The planned changes will mean vehicles will not be able to turn right out of South Leigh and Barnard Gate, and a new central reservation will be installed to enforce the restriction.

Liam Walker, Oxfordshire County Council's shadow cabinet member for highway management, called it a "huge win for road safety on the A40".

There have been multiple crashes on the turning on Barnard Gate on the route between Witney and Eynsham, and a motorist was killed in 2012.

Mr Walker told the BBC: "People are very vulnerable waiting in the middle of the road, so this is really good news. I'm really pleased the county council committed this funding.

"I think that everybody recognises that this is a very bad junction, and certainly from the comments and emails I've had from residents they're really pleased that something's going to be done about it."

Mr Walker launched a petition in November 2023 calling for the council to carry out a road safety assessment of both Barnard Gate junctions onto the A40.

Lysette Nicholls, chairwoman of South Leigh Parish Council, also expressed her support.

She said: "We have been pushing for these changes for a long time, and it is fantastic to see action finally being taken.

"This will significantly reduce the dangers at the junction and improve the overall safety for motorists and residents alike."

The county council said it was carrying out design work and would be consulting on the proposals before they were put in place.

There is no specific date for when the plans will be implemented, but it is expected it will be finished towards the end of the financial year.

An estimated £100,000 has been allocated towards the programme as part of the county council's Vision Zero safety strategy.

It aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on Oxfordshire's roads by 2050, by using data to identify collision hot spots, prioritising maintenance at these sites and improving road safety infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.

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