I and Ed Vaizey MP (Wantage and Didcot) met with the Minister of State for Transport Jesse Norman MP and representatives of Highways England to discuss the Oxford Cambridge Expressway, the A34, and the A420.
Both of us secured assurances from the Minister that there would be detailed consultation with local residents for the final route of the Oxford Cambridge expressway. A route corridor has been chosen and Highways England are currently considering route options within that corridor. There is a long list of around 100 routes which will be narrowed down to a short list of under 10 for public consultation in late 2019.
We also made clear our views that any work on the Expressway should include upgrades in safety and capacity on the roads in the South Oxfordshire area, in particular the A34 and A420. Specifically, Mr Vaizey ordered for upgrades to the A420 that would ensure it could form part of an east-west arc linking Swindon to oxford and Cambridge.
Mr Vaizey said "The South Oxfordshire Area is one of the most productive economic areas outside of London. The A420 connects the major economic centres of Swindon and Oxford and is currently dangerous and congested, particularly at rush hour. I would like to see the Oxford Cambridge Arc extended to Swindon along the A420 and improvement works for that road should be included as part of the plan."
I said "I have long argued that the Oxford-Milton Keynes- Cambridge Expressway should follow and make use of existing roads such as the A34. There are serious safety concerns which can be tackled at the same time by doing this. This suggests a route to the West of Oxford rather than through Wheatley. However, I hope that this will also be a one-off opportunity to bring relief for many villages along its route."
The meeting concluded with a promise from the Department of Transport to ensure that all Oxfordshire Area MPs are kept up to date with plans for the Expressway and a commitment to take part in further roundtable meetings to address the on-going safety concerns on the A34.
