Information from Highways England:
We will be carrying out concrete repairs, replacing the waterproofing material and joints on the bridge which carries the A34 over B4044 Botley Road, to ensure the future integrity of the structure and the safety of road users.
As the concrete below the road surfacing material is breaking up leading to potholes, specialist machinery will be required to remove the damaged concrete and replace the road surfacing.
Traffic Management
Due to the extent of work required and to keep the overall disruption to a minimum, the works will require a series of weekend closures on the northbound A34, and one week of night-time working.
The dates of the northbound weekend closures are currently scheduled as follows:
• 8pm on Friday 18 October through to 5.30am on Monday 21 October
• 8pm on Friday 1 November through to 5.30am on Monday 4 November **CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER FORECAST**
• 8pm on Friday 8 November through to 5.30am on Monday 11 November
During these weekend periods the A34 northbound carriageway will be closed from the A423 Hinksey Hill junction to the A420 Botley Interchange, and lane 2 of the A34 southbound carriageway will be closed to provide a sufficient safety zone for our workers.
In addition, we will be closing the A34 northbound carriageway between the A423 Hinksey Hill junction and the A420 Botley Interchange overnight (between 9pm and 6am) over five weekday nights to allow the bridge joints to be installed once the main repairs have taken place.
The diversion for both the weekend and weeknight closures will go via the Oxford ring-road. Delays are expected during these weekend closures, so we are advising road users to plan their journeys in advance.
Access to North Hinksey and South Hinksey will be maintained via the A34 southbound carriageway only.
Noise/Disruption
The works to the bridge will require a multitude of specialist machinery including excavators, lorries, concrete breakers and road pavers over the course of the weekend closures.
We aim to mitigate noise generated from these works by using best practices including acoustic barriers and careful selection of machinery. Taking the location into consideration, we will also try to programme activities to minimise the use of heavy machinery during night time working.
Public Information Event
To present an outline of the planned works and provide further information to the local community, information events will be taking place where representatives from Highways England and Kier Highways Ltd (the principal contractor) will be available to answer any questions relating to the scheme.
The events will be held on Monday 30 September between 4pm and 8pm at South Hinksey Village Hall, Manor Road, South Hinksey, Oxford, OX1 5AS; and on Thursday 3 October between 4pm and 8pm at the Church Hall of St Peter & St Paul Church, West Way, Botley, Oxford, OX2 9JY.
These closures have been carefully programmed in conjunction with Thames Valley Police and Oxfordshire County Council, but are subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances – please check the yellow signs placed in advance at the junction for confirmation of the closures dates/timings.
We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption caused during our work; if you have any questions, or if you’d like to know about our work please contact us on 0300 123 5000 or email
