MAJOR roundabout work in North Oxford should be delayed until railway work is finished in Upper Wolvercote, a councillor has said.

Plans to replace the railway bridge in First Turn and turn Wolvercote roundabout into a ‘hamburger’ junction will cause traffic chaos, it is feared.

Oxfordshire county councillor Jean Fooks has called on the authority to wait until the bridge work is completed before starting on the roundabout.

Network Rail’s bridge work will run from January 25 to November 22, with the £9m roundabout work due to start in June and go on until January 2016.

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During the bridge work a diversion, will operate via Mere Road and Wolvercote roundabout. Council bosses have said they do not believe the two schemes will cause an “overwhelming problem” but could reconsider the start date.

Wolvercote Liberal Democrat councillor Mrs Fooks said: “Wolvercote roundabout is already overloaded, it can take a very long time to emerge from Godstow Road at busy times.

“If work starts there while First Turn is closed, even longer delays and consequent frustration are inevitable.”

She and Oxford City Council members for Wolvercote Michael Gotch and Stephen Goddard are to lobby Network Rail to pay for shuttle buses during the diversion.

This is because of the impact on elderly people who will have to walk longer distances to reach areas cut off and schoolchildren who will have to take the roundabout detour to reach Wolvercote Primary School.

That could include a shuttle bus, or a diversion of another service to reach the affected areas, Mrs Fooks added. They will meet rail bosses on December 2.

She said: “It seems that no one has really considered the impact of closing the road leading to the school, the church and the shop and post office. We are asking whether a bus could be provided to help people reach these facilities via Mere Road.”

County council cabinet member for transport David Nimmo Smith said the authority was still considering its options about the roundabout work.

He said: “At the moment we are trying to timetable projects across the city and we are still modelling what the impact of this will be.

“We would like to delay the roundabout work. Waiting until November is possibly too far, but we have not bottomed it out yet.”

Network Rail spokesman Jon Crampton said: “The bridge rebuild is a vital part of the upgrade of the railway line, which will provide passengers with a much improved level of service.

“We will listen to suggestions and comments from local people and organisations about ways to minimise the impact of this essential work.”

The bridge is being replaced as part of plans to upgrade the Oxford to Bicester rail line.

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