Apparently there are some unpleasant roadworks from the Sandhill Park & Ride to the Headington roundabout.
I have to go to Oxford from N London and back tomorrow and cannot afford to get stuck. Are there any locals who can sugest whether I should:
1. sit it out (if so, how long?); or
2. go on one more junctio on the M40 and come down the A34?
I need to arrive at 1.30 and will be leaving c. 4.30.
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Any such thing a pleasant roadworks ?!
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Let the train take the strain?
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Which part of Oxford are you headed to?
You could leave at J6, take a left down the B4009 to Watlington, and then follow signs for Oxford. That will bring you out at the Rover/BMW factory on the Eastern bypass. Pretty trip through quite reasonable country roads, so allow time for tractors, but no roadworks!
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Thanks.
I need to get to Oxford University Press in Great Clarendon Street - I usually approach from the Woodstock Road.
Sadly the train doesn't work for the return journey and the stuff I need to take with me.
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2. go on one more junction on the M40 and come down the A34?
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see www.traffic-england.co.uk/TCC/ and zoom in to the A34 where it says 20min delays.
I used this part of the A34 a few weeks ago and it certainly was very slow.
I have no idea of the current situation.
www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/local_radio/
95.2FM as you get closer to Oxford or maybe listen to it on the web for traffic reports?
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Other than hearing traffic reports I don't acutally know what the A40 is like at the moment, although it does sound bad. However, the A34 is back to normal at the moment, so I'd do that.
Although "back to normal" does mean "an absolute git in rush hour". Leaving at 4:30 is not likely to be fun, 30 minutes earlier would make quite a difference.
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Sorry, been away for a while,
A34 not so bad outside of rush hour as Mark says, A40 (northern bypass) between Cutteslow and Headington bad in rush hour (20min on a good day) and new roadworks between Sandhills and Headington due to a restructuring of the Headington roundabout and new traffic lights....these are the ones you are thnking about I guess.
Probably too late, but if you have parking arranged at OUP then I would keep on the M40 past the Oxford junction to the A43 and cut across B roads through the Bartons to the north of Oxford and down the A44 (which becomes Woodstock road). It may take the same time but I hate standing still in nose to tail traffic!
StarGazer
ps I walk past OUP most days on my way to the station
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Thanks All,
It was OK on the way in but on the way out the A34 was knackered so I stuck with the A40 which really wan't good!
I need to go again next week, so I may take Stargazer's advice!
Peter
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Perhaps Stargazer can assist and confirm the following?
There certainly is is a parallel route just south of the normal road through Headington.
Inbound on the A40 it starts as a tiny slip road on the Ist roundabout.
It is immediately on the left AFTER the dual carriageway A4142 and before the road to Headington - just as you exit the roundabout.
You can then thread your way through near the Nuffield Hospital.
If you use the route outbound you exit further south into the A4142 and join the queue to the roundabout.
Google Earth reference 51 45'45.21N & 1 11'49.44W clearly shows the exit road at the roundabout
The detail for the whole route is not there.
I have used this route before when son was at UNI and also visiting the hospital. It is a bit narrow and twisty but may be a vable alternative for you.
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I experienced these roadworks today at 13:00 and had a clear run through them with the only extra time being that taken by driving to the temporary 30mph limit instead of usual 50mph.
In a few weeks though I will need to get from Aylesbury to the John Radcliffe Hospital at pretty well peak time 09:15am. I have no intention of coming in from Kidlington as the queue from the Oxford bypass to the John Radcliffe is hideous at this time of day likewise the queue to the Headington roundabout if I chose to carry on up the bypass and join in on my original route.
My intention is therefore to use the route I used to use when working on site at Rover, Cowley (pre BMW); instead of joining the A40 at Whitley, drive through the village centre and after a mile or so take a right hand turn. After a few more miles I will then come out on the bypass at the BMW factory and can choose to turn right and go back to the Headington roundabout or (more likely) go straight over and then work my way over to the hospital.
Sensible, or drive straight down to Headington and live with the queue?
BTW on my way out of Oxford through these roadworks today, I encountered zip merging between the Headington roundabout and the park and ride; bar the Disco Babe in little Kia behind who was determined to let nobody between us, everyone merged in turn. It worked a treat and as well as two lanes instead of one keeping the queue short enough not to encroach on the roundabout, the queue never actually stopped moving.
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SjB,
Past my house, out through Merton, into Islip, keep left and then turn left at Pub/bridge. Turn right after top of Islip Hill straight down into the back of Oxford showing up about 1/2 mile from the JR.
It worked for me, even during rush hour - about 10 minutes from my house, 15 at worst.
M.
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Thanks, Mark.
Will give it a go!
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Well, today was the alloted day, so we gave it a go; exactly one hour from Aylesbury to the JRH with an 07:30 departure vs 35 minutes on the normal route via Thame and Headington. Even if in fact we could have come the usual route and navigated the Headington roadworks in the same time, what was so nice was the flowing cross country drive, devoid of traffic. With the frequent undualations and subsidence it was an ideal route to enjoy the 306's sharp handling and supple suspension, actually!
The journey would have been forty minutes but for queuing to get out of the road from Woodeaton, then a few yeards later to turn left and join the bypass slip, and then all the way to the road that leads to JRH. I was hoping that I could avoid this traffic - it is the traffic I referred to before - but it seems there's no other way to cross the bypass.
Thanks again for the tip.
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- but it seems there's no other way to cross the bypass.
Well it is my turn to visit Oxford on Monday.
Normal approach is M40 A40 Headington.
Can someone give me an update on the situation?
There would appear to be a way over the bypass from the well known Blackbird Leys estate.
Is this worth trying.
I am quite happy to go via white roads etc even if it is a longer route.
Suggestions on routes please.
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Henry,
Where in Oxford are you trying to get to? It can make quite a difference to the potential routes
Yes the Green Road/Headington roundabout and A40 Park and Ride is still a mess...the traffic light cycle time can be up to 12 minutes (the quoted time to exit from the park and ride carpark).
StarGazer
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Wow a 3 min response time.
I am delivering my wife and a friend to do the tourist bit.
My wife has done this many times.
I will then probably drift off to a park n ride to join them.
I guess from the one north by the A34
They would like to start at Magdalen Bridge because we think it is THE way in.
I have been in and around the centre and out to the Trout many times as son was at Magdalen.
I have no problems finding my way around the central car no go area.
My wife is an excellent navigator so any route in using any side road is well within our capabilities.
Hence was looking at drifting cross country from J7 or Wheatley to Blackbird Leys and maybe Iffley Road to the bridge.
Thanks
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Now getting worse - big problems yesterday, Monday 15th approaching Headington both E and W bound.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/4772443.stm
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Yes, they added new traffic lights and more filtering yesterday, on the news last night they were claiming over an hour to cross the roundabout. Asking drivers to use alternate routes which most local drivers were alreay using due to the A40 northern bypass work.
Add this to the chaos caused last friday on the A34 anywhere between Newbury and Bicester and the A roads are becoming a no-go area and all the traffic is piling onto the minor roads. The B road from Wootton, Bletchington through Islip is almost a constant stream of traffic during commuting hours.
StarGazer
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These new roadworks made the local news again last night...long delays. Questions being asked of the county council.
A colleague spent nearly 3 hours stuck inside the ringroad in a Oxford-Heathrow bus and missed his flights.
SG
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my wife works at Churchill hospital,so she battles through this traffic all the time.The other day it was so bad that some staff gave up trying to get in and turned round and went home.What a monumental cockup this work is.In such a traffic sensitive area,surely the work should be done at night like the A34 was.
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my wife works at Churchill hospital,so she battles through this traffic all the time.The other day it was so bad that some staff gave up trying to get in and turned round and went home.
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what an irony. a little inconvenience at a roadworks and the people are defeated. where has the churchill spirit of this country gone. and to top it all, these people are supposed to be working in a caring-profession environment. i know - the staff are not uk stock.
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