Watlington Relief Road
A scheme to provide an alternative route and direct access to the B4009 either side of Watlington, without the need to travel through the historic town.
About the improvements
The Watlington Relief Road will connect the B4009 (southeast of Watlington) and the B4009 junction with Pyrton Lane/Station Road.
It provides a more attractive east/west alignment for traffic which bypasses the town centre, easing issues of congestion, noise and air quality.
Why we are investing here?
A corridor for the Relief Road was previously identified in the Watlington Neighbourhood Plan.
The relief road has a dual purpose of unlocking housing in the vicinity of Watlington and catering to future development as well as helping to create better conditions for walking and cycling and improve bus journey times.
What you can expect
The image shows the proposed alignment of the Watlington Relief Road through the approved housing developments. OCC will be responsible for delivering the four sections highlighted by the dotted black line. The remainder will be built by the housing developers.
Timescales
A number of workshops were undertaken with key stakeholder and user groups, including District and parish councils, developers, local businesses and the Environment Agency, during the options appraisal stages in 2018 and 2022.
An Options Appraisal Report was published and shared with the parish councils in March 2021 and approved by OCC cabinet in September 2021.
A public consultation is scheduled to be held in Spring 2023 and a planning application submitted in Summer 2023.
At this stage, construction is anticipated to commence in early 2024 and last until early 2025. A detailed construction programme will be provided as the project progresses.
Minimising the impact
We will coordinate the work to minimise the impact on the network as far as is reasonably practicable. Further details of this will be available prior to the start of construction.
How it is being funded
The project is being funded through a combination of Growth Deal funding and Section 106 contributions from developers.
Next steps
We anticipate submitting a planning application for this scheme in Summer 2023. Prior to submission, we will hold a public exhibition to showcase the designs and alignment and explain why these have been chosen. This is anticipated to be held in Spring 2023.
Contact us
If you would like to know more, you can contact us via email WRRproject@oxfordshire.gov.uk