A major scheme to upgrade transport links in Didcot and surrounding areas has reached another important stage.
Oxfordshire County Council has appointed Graham to handle the £38m Clifton Hampden Bypass section of the HIF1 infrastructure programme.
This appointment marks the second of three construction contracts for the project, which seeks to reduce traffic bottlenecks.
The scheme will offer more reliable journey times, improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, support new business districts and housing developments in the Didcot region, and facilitate the introduction of enhanced bus services.
The Clifton Hampden Bypass section will reroute A415 traffic around the village of Clifton Hampden.
Judy Roberts, the county council’s cabinet member for infrastructure and development strategy, said the A415 carries substantial amounts of through-traffic and experiences serious congestion where it meets the A4074. The road passes directly through Clifton Hampden, including close to the village primary school. This bypass will completely transform that arrangement by directing vehicles onto a new road located to the north of the village. She expressed pleasure at having successfully secured a contractor to deliver this much-needed bypass.
The bypass will involve building a new single-lane carriageway with separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists, connecting the A415 at Culham Science Centre with B4015 Oxford Road to the north of Clifton Hampden.
A new roundabout at the western end will provide entry to both Culham Science Centre and Culham railway station. Additional junctions will be installed east of this roundabout where it connects with the current A415, as well as at the northeastern end of the new road.
Andrew Henry, Graham’s contracts director, said the company was privileged to have been chosen to deliver this significant infrastructure project, which would greatly enhance connectivity in the Didcot area.
Pauline Schaffer, Homes England’s director of Infrastructure Funding, stated that Graham’s appointment by Oxfordshire County Council marked another major step forward in providing essential transport upgrades for Didcot and neighbouring communities. Homes England’s funding through the Housing Infrastructure Fund was supporting the advancement of the Didcot infrastructure programme, enabling much-needed new housing and economic growth for the local area.
Preliminary work, including ground preparation, archaeological investigations, and utility diversions, is currently underway. Substantial construction is expected to begin during the summer with an approximate timeframe of two years.
The original proposals were turned down by the county council’s planning committee in July 2023.
Further aspects of the programme include constructing a dual carriageway along A4130 from the A34 Milton Interchange towards Didcot, building a new bridge spanning the railway line, and creating a new bridge across the River Thames linking Didcot and Culham.