A highway near Abingdon that serves as a vital link between two Oxfordshire settlements is set to shut to traffic for approximately eight months starting in summer 2027.

The B4016 carriageway linking Sutton Courtenay and Appleford in South Oxfordshire is expected to remain inaccessible to motorists for up to eight months from summer 2027.

Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed that traffic disruption is unavoidable due to the major infrastructure project known as HIF1.

The substantial highways scheme involves building significant new roads, including a dual carriageway located to the east of the Milton Interchange, alongside a single-lane road and bridge crossing the A4130, Great Western Main Line and Milton Road.

The HIF1 scheme additionally includes developing a fresh single-carriageway distributor road between Didcot and Culham, complete with a structure crossing the River Thames, as well as establishing a bypass on the northern edge of Clifton Hampden.

The project has been in planning for more than a decade and is estimated to cost around £400 million with construction expected to exceed two years, designed to connect the Science Vale area near Didcot.

Matthew Barber, the police and crime commissioner for Thames Valley, is keeping track of developments on this scheme.

Worries about how long the road closure would last were first raised with him by the head of Europa School in Culham, after which he held discussions with the headteacher and council officers to review the plans.

At present, indications suggest the B4016 will be shut for eight months from August 2027 until early 2028, with final decisions and formal approvals expected in the coming months.

The commissioner stated that pedestrian and cycle access will continue throughout the works, and transport solutions such as additional rail services running between Culham and Appleford or minibus transport for pupils remain under review, though these have not yet been finalised.