Botley Road improvements

Work to provide bus, cycle and pedestrian improvements along Botley Road.

These works do not cover the ongoing construction activities associated with the Botley Road rail bridge.

Latest update - June 2023

Oxfordshire County Council has completed the first three phases of major improvements to Botley Road. The improvements are aimed at enhancing bus, cycle, and pedestrian facilities along Botley Road. 

Work along the Seacourt park and ride junction was completed in March 2021 when the revised permanent traffic lights at the Seacourt Park and Ride junction were switched on.

This was followed by work along the Westminster Way junction completed in August 2021.

Improvement work at the A34 / A420 slip road junction was completed in May 2022.

The areas affected are shown on the General Arrangement Plan (pdf format, 2Mb).

Design work for the remaining sections of the road, which includes Seacourt Park and Ride to Binsey Lane and Elms parade shops to Eynsham Road, has currently been deferred whilst funding is sought and confirmed.

The new designs will support the wider transport plans announced by the county council aimed at increasing the speed of public transport, improving safety for cyclists and pedestrians and limiting carbon emissions caused by transport.

Further information including updates on obtaining funding, progress and programme will continue to be provided through this webpage.

Why we are doing this project?

Botley Road is recognised as being a very slow route in and out of Oxford city centre facing daily congestion problems and poor journey experiences for road users. The corridor is a vital public transport link in Oxford as it:

  • offers the only east to west route in and out of the city from the west;
  • supports a high proportion of cycling; and
  • serves a diverse function for buses, both local services and the park and ride, as well as intra-urban services.

Specific objectives of the Botley Road Corridor project include:

  • Improvements in both eastbound and westbound bus journey times.
  • Improve facilities for walking cycling and using public transport, leading to a reduction in traffic congestion
  • A reduction in personal injury accidents on Botley Road.
  • Promote health and wellbeing by reducing transport’s environmental impacts

Improving public transport

Building on objectives set out in the Oxford Transport Strategy, a study of Botley Road was completed in 2016 which confirmed, following stakeholder feedback, the value of a high-quality route that prioritised sustainable transport modes to ease congestion, reduce journey times and improve journey experience.

These improvements will be further enhanced with future proposals such as Connecting Oxford and Network Rails proposed widening at Botley Rail Bridge.

What we are proposing?

The key changes that will be brought about by this project include:

  • Bus priority measures to improve bus journey times and reliability along the corridor.
  • Cycle improvements to create a safer and continuous route along the corridor.
  • More consistent and improved pedestrian provision, including additional crossings.
  • Road surface repairs and improvements which will improve the condition and ride quality of the road to the benefit of all users.

Diagrams and plans

Frequently asked questions

What are the Botley Road corridor improvements?

£9.1m has been secured to develop a package of work to improve the travelling experience along the Botley Road and provide a route that prioritises sustainable transport; specifically, for buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

The proposed improvements to the Botley Road corridor aims to:

  • ease congestion on the route
  • reduce bus journey times by avoiding the key bottlenecks so that they have an advantage over general traffic
  • provide a safer and more attractive route for cyclists and pedestrians 
  • reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality.
  • encourage greater use of more sustainable modes of transport such as buses, cycling and walking

It will also:

  • unlock economic growth and job creation opportunities by benefiting development sites with improved access and additional capacity, including supporting further housing and growth in Oxford city centre, Botley and along the A420.
  • introduce smart technology along the corridor and provide some of the groundwork for the upcoming Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) trials.

Why is it needed?

This project is needed as Botley Road is recognised as being a very slow route in and out of the city centre, facing daily congestion problems, poor journey experiences for all road users.

A study of the Botley Road corridor in early 2016 identified key changes were needed to encourage more people to travel by bus or other sustainable transport options to reduce the overall amount of traffic and reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality.

How much will it cost?

The total project will cost around £9.1m.

This budget is sufficient to progress Phase 1 through to construction however it currently only permits Phase 2 to be progressed to the end of preliminary design.

Where is the money coming from to pay for it?

The proposed improvements are funded via a variety of sources such as the department for transport National Productivity Investment Fund, Growth Deal and (s106) developer contributions.

What will be the hours of working?

Our working hours are typically 7:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Saturday mornings will be utilised when necessary. The working hours on Saturdays will be 7am to 1pm and advanced notification of any Saturday works will be provided.

Occasionally we may need to do nighttime working in order to carry out work which we are unable to do during the day (due to lack of space or safety), in which case the hours will be 8pm to 6am. We will ensure that all residents and those that are affected are informed in advance of these nighttime closures and any other work that may have a significant impact.  

What is the impact on traffic going to be?

The aim of the work is ultimately to make travelling in and out of Oxford along the Botley Road better, but in the short-term, the work will cause some inconvenience.

We will be working hard to minimise disruption in a number of ways. Any temporary traffic lights we use will be manually controlled throughout the day so that we can respond quickly to traffic conditions as they happen.

The advice is always to plan your journeys to avoid being late. Public transport, including park and rides, is likely to be a better option for many people and is recommended.

Some of our works will require short periods of road closures. These are likely to be undertaken in the evening and overnight with traffic likely to be affected.

For road closures, there will be diversion signs in place and advanced warning signs prior to the closures being implemented. Advanced notification will be given to affected residents and businesses also.

Will there be any impact on parking?

There may be temporary disruption to on-street parking during construction, in which case we will provide advanced notice of this.

There are locations within the scheme where parking is proposed to be removed completely and the Traffic Regulation Order’s (TRO’s) for these will be consulted on during autumn 2019. You will be able to find out more information on these areas on the projects webpage www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/botleyroad

Will there be noise?

Noise will be limited as much as possible but there will be periods when noise is unavoidable.

When we do work at night, noise will be limited to before 11pm as per our Section 61 agreement with Oxford City Council. Communication will be undertaken prior to these works being undertaken.

Will there be road/lane closures?

Yes, there will be road/lane closures, they will be advertised on site before happening and will be limited to evenings and nights. We will also outline all road closures on the project webpage and in the e-bulletin.

Will there be diversions?

Yes, there will be signed diversions associated with any road closures.

Will I still be able to get to work/ to my house?

We will be closing roads whilst we carry out the work. However, we will do what we can to make sure access is maintained where possible. Our project team will be on hand to assist where necessary.

Access for vehicular driveways may be affected, but the contractor will discuss this with you and, where possible, make arrangements to ensure that individual access is retained during the works where possible.

What will the emergency services do?

All emergency services will be informed of road closures and roadworks so that they can choose the most appropriate route. Emergency services are allowed to pass through road closures and are well practiced in finding the best ways to get to their destination in all circumstances. Assistance from the project team will also be provided.

How will public transport be affected?

We have been in regular contact with the bus companies prior to the project starting and will continue to do so throughout the scheme. Public transport will continue to run but may be affected by any delays due to the roadworks. We would advise allowing a little longer for your journey.

How will businesses be affected?

There will be times throughout the project when we will be working directly outside businesses. We will work with our contractor to ensure there are no access restrictions to the business and they will be able to run as normal including the receiving and making of deliveries.

How do I keep up to date with what is going on?

During the design process, you can keep up to date with progress via the project webpage at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/botleyroad

When the project gets to the construction stage our project team will also be delivering letters throughout the scheme to residents and businesses advising of any work that is likely to be directly disruptive to them and prior to any significant changes to the traffic management set-up. You can also sign up, via the above project web page, to our project e-bulletin which will be sent out via email on approximately a fortnightly basis.

How can I ask a question or make a complaint?

Should you have any questions or wish to make a complaint you can email highwayenquiries@oxfordshire.gov.uk, or call us on 0345 310 11 11.

Bus lanes – what are the hours of operation?

All day, every day along the route.  

Will cyclists still be able to use bus lanes?

Yes, along with hackney carriages (taxis).

What happens with the comments from the consultation?

The project team will review all of the comments received and this will inform the design going forward.  We are looking at preferences on the side road entry treatments and will consider the majority views on these. There will be another consultation following the next design stage which will allow you to review the updated drawings and provide further comments.