Witney Roadworks This Week: A40 Closure and High Street Shut

The A40 eastbound is closed between the Downs Road bridge and the B4022 slip road at Shores Green, under an emergency notice that took effect on 5 October. The anticipated completion date is 14 October. That is the eastbound bypass from the western edge of the town to Shores Green.

Witney High Street is closed to all general traffic, day and night, until the end of Friday 9 October. The closure started at 7.30am on Monday 28 September. It runs from the top of Market Square down to and including the Welch Way junction.

Out of town, water main work has shut East End Road and New Yatt Road in North Leigh until 23 October, and gas main work has shut Buckland Road in Bampton until 4 December. Both are set out below.

Oxford changed on the same Monday. Traffic filters replaced the congestion charge on 28 September, and the £5 payment option has gone. The detail is further down this page.

The buses changed too. Both operator groups rewrote their Oxfordshire networks on 20 September, and Witney came out of it with more buses, not fewer: a new S1A and up to six buses an hour to Oxford. The route-by-route detail is in Witney’s buses changed on 20 September. While the High Street is shut, those buses use different stops, set out below.

Witney High Street closure, 28 September to 9 October

Oxfordshire County Council says the closure is for engineering work in the centre of the road. The work includes:

• drainage works and surface planing
• preparing the footway areas for the buff-coloured surfacing
• new signage
• a permanent bus shelter at the top of Market Square

All businesses stay open. A walking and wheelchair route is kept through the works at all times. Cycling is allowed, but the county recommends going round via Witan Way.

Some disabled parking places on the High Street are out of use. Blue badge holders are advised to use Witan Way, park in the Woolgate car park and walk through the Woolgate.

Where to catch your bus until 9 October. The temporary stops on the High Street between Welch Way and Market Square are suspended, and so is the stop on Welch Way near the High Street junction.

The county warns that operators may make short notice changes that this guidance will not reflect. The taxi rank has moved to opposite The Angel on Market Square.

Questions go to the contractor, Galliford Try, at witneyhighstreet@gallifordtry.co.uk. The out of hours emergency number is 07483 326963.

The A40 eastbound closure, to 14 October

Witney Town Council published the county’s notice on 29 September. It covers the A40 eastbound dual carriageway from the Downs Road bridge to the B4022 slip road, the stretch between the western edge of the town and the Shores Green junction. The work is being carried out by M Group.

What the notice says:

• it is a temporary emergency notice under section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act
• it operates from 5 October 2026
• the anticipated completion date is 14 October 2026
• a single emergency notice can stay in force for at most 21 consecutive days

What it does not say: the hours of the closure, what the work is, or a diversion route. Ask Oxfordshire County Council on 0345 310 11 11 before you rely on it.

What is shut right now

Several closures have come off this table in the last fortnight, all at the end of their published dates:

• the microsurfacing closures on Station Lane, Court Gardens, Judds Close, Lowell Place, Bourton Close, Barrington Close and Aldsworth Court (24 to 29 September)
• the overnight Upavon Way closure in Carterton, whose last night on the county’s maintenance table was 25 September

The North Leigh and Bampton closures all have diversions “signed locally”, which is all the notices say. Neither gives a route.

The A44 restriction runs for about 200 metres either side of the Salford turn, between the road to the Rollright Stones and the county border at Chastleton. That is the main Chipping Norton to Moreton-in-Marsh road, so a 30mph limit there is worth knowing about before you set off.

School Streets are now in force in Carterton

Four residential roads in Carterton, about six miles west of Witney, have closed to most motor vehicles at school drop-off and pick-up times since Wednesday 2 September. The restriction runs 8.15am to 9.15am and 2.30pm to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, term time only, and it is enforced by number plate cameras.

The closure points are on Edgeworth Drive and Richens Drive at their junctions with the B4020 Upavon Way, and at both ends of Lawton Avenue. Residents, blue badge holders, carers, liveried delivery vans and emergency vehicles are exempt, but most exemptions have to be applied for in advance.

We have covered the scheme, the consultation behind it and how to apply, in Carterton school streets start on 2 September.

Booked in for the next two months

The Crawley Road notice is a single-day closure for Openreach telecommunications work. Like most of the town’s notices it publishes no diversion route, only the county’s enquiry line, 0345 310 11 11.

The High Street scheme

The project began with a £1.98 million grant from the government’s Active Travel Fund and locks in the town centre traffic arrangement introduced after through traffic was reduced. Materials and labour costs then rose. The county’s scheme page now gives a revised budget of £4.4 million:

• £2.869 million from Active Travel England
• £1.495 million from the county council’s capital programme
• £0.040 million from developer contributions

Construction started in early May. Phase 1, on the western side of the street, ran from May to August with traffic southbound only. Phase 2, on the eastern side, started on 10 August with traffic northbound only, and the full closure to 9 October sits inside it. Completion is still scheduled for November, subject to weather. The county has not said how traffic will run on the High Street once the full closure ends on 9 October. Access to every business on the High Street and Market Square is maintained throughout.

When it is done, Witney gets:

• around 2,000 square metres of resurfaced footway and over 1,000 square metres of new footway space
• 10 marked disabled parking places
• new seating areas and new trees
• a new bus stop for community transport, plus a 16 metre taxi bay, with taxi access to the shared space after 5pm on weekdays and after 2pm on Saturdays
• a new traffic priority arrangement at the High Street and Welch Way junction, with a central island for cyclists turning right

Oxfordshire County Council takes questions on the scheme at witneyhighstreet@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

The A40

Almost every journey out of Witney meets the A40, and the road is run by Oxfordshire County Council rather than National Highways, so the county is who to chase when it goes wrong.

The west-facing slip roads at the A40 and B4022 Shores Green junction are open, giving Witney a direct eastbound off-slip and westbound on-slip at the eastern edge of the town. They opened on 17 July at a final cost of £26.8 million, against an earlier published estimate of £25 million. The temporary speed limits and lane closures that ran through construction have gone with them.

The county’s own project page for the scheme has still not been updated. Checked again today, it advertises a June night closure, a consultation that shut on 15 May, and a 50mph limit “until the end of construction”, none of which now applies.

The next phase is bigger and has not started. Oxfordshire County Council holds planning consent, granted on 30 June, for the A40 Eynsham park and ride to Wolvercote scheme: roughly 7.3 kilometres of bus priority lanes in both directions, a new junction linking the Eynsham park and ride to the A40, upgraded junctions at Cassington and the Lower Road roundabout, and walking and cycling routes on both sides. Phase 1 funding is £126 million from Homes England and the Department for Transport, and Balfour Beatty is set to build it subject to final agreement on cost, programme and terms. Construction is expected to start later this year.

Note what is not in it. The long-discussed dualling of the A40 east of Witney is not part of this phase. The scheme is bus priority and active travel, not extra general traffic lanes.

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Lower speed limits at Minster Lovell and Asthall

New speed limit orders came into force on 14 August on the B4047 Burford Road, the old Witney to Burford route. They replace the previous orders for both parishes. In summary:

• 30mph on the B4047 from the A40 Asthall roundabout eastwards for 325 metres, and on the unnamed road running north towards Asthall for 140 metres
• a 40mph buffer on the B4047 eastwards from that 30mph limit for 300 metres
• 50mph on the two stretches of the B4047 that were previously the national speed limit, at the western end between the Asthall buffer and Minster Lovell’s 30mph limit, and at the eastern end between Minster Lovell’s 40mph limit and Witney’s

Driving into Oxford: the traffic filters are live

Park and ride now costs £3. Free park and ride bus travel in Oxford ended on 16 August. Since 17 August the offer has been a £3 combined ticket covering return bus travel for up to five people of any age plus parking for up to 16 hours. It is valid on any Stagecoach, Oxford Bus Company or Thames Travel bus that stops at a park and ride site, not just the dedicated services.

The Eynsham park and ride is the one nearest Witney. It has 850 spaces, is accessible 24 hours a day, and has security, cycle storage, toilets and electric vehicle bays. Its direct junction onto the A40 is part of the Wolvercote scheme above, which is why the connection is still to come.

Traffic filters replaced the congestion charge on Monday 28 September. This is the change that matters most to drivers coming in from Witney, because the £5 payment option has gone. You can no longer pay to pass a filter; you either hold a permit, drive a vehicle that is exempt, or go round. The six filters are at:

• Hollow Way and Marston Ferry Road, 7am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm, Monday to Saturday
• St Clement’s Street, St Cross Road, Hythe Bridge Street and Thames Street, 7am to 7pm, every day

All non-car vehicles are exempt, and there are 20 permit types for people such as carers and healthcare workers. Oxfordshire residents living outside Oxford can apply for a permit giving 25 day passes a year. Existing congestion charge permits transfer automatically, with day pass allocations reset. The fine is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days and rising to £105 if unpaid after 28 days, and a first contravention in the opening six months gets a warning notice instead.

The filters are a trial under an experimental order, and the county wants to hear how it is going. Its traffic filter survey opened on 28 September and runs until 28 March 2027. Paper copies are at County Hall and Oxfordshire libraries.

The filters could start because Botley Road reopened to traffic on Sunday 20 September, ending more than three years of closure under the railway bridge, and the county’s reopening page now carries the detail: a signed 4.4 metre height limit, two new four metre walkways with one way cycleways, and a new footbridge from the Becket Street car park to the station front. Thames Water is still repairing a main at Osney Bridge overnight, 8pm to 6am with a lane closure, and has published no completion date.

Parking in Witney, and it is still free in the car parks

West Oxfordshire District Council states plainly that parking is free in all of its car parks. There is no tariff to check, only a maximum stay.

On-street is a different matter, and one road changed this month. West End became a formal residents’ permit street on 17 August, with permits at £70 a year. We have set out who is eligible, what it costs and what Witney Town Council said about it in West End parking permits now in force.

The council is repainting the bay lines in its car parks across the district. Woodford Way in Witney shut for two days from 25 August for its turn, and Charlbury is done. Black Bourton in Carterton and Albion Street in Chipping Norton are still to come, and the council has not published dates for them.

All six Witney car parks are open seven days a week. Woolgate is the largest and the closest to Shopmobility; Woodford Way and Marriotts Walk have the rapid electric vehicle chargers. While the High Street is shut, reach Woolgate via Witan Way, which is also the county’s advice for blue badge holders.

Checking what is closed today

This page covers the schemes and the dated orders. For a road that shut this morning, use these, in this order:

1. Oxfordshire County Council roadworks map, the county’s live view for county roads including the A40, A4095 and B4022.
2. Witney Town Council news, which publishes the statutory closure notices for Witney and the surrounding villages, usually a few weeks ahead of the works.
3. Public Notice Portal, which carries the full statutory traffic orders the county places in the local press, with exact extents, reasons and diversion routes.
4. West Oxfordshire temporary road closures for event closures in the towns and villages.

Frequently asked questions

Is Witney High Street closed?

Yes, to general motor traffic, 24 hours a day until the end of Friday 9 October, from the top of Market Square to the Welch Way junction. Shops stay open and the footway stays open. Buses use the stop near Meadow Court or Langdale Gate instead.

When will the Witney High Street works finish?

Oxfordshire County Council has scheduled completion for November, described elsewhere on its own timetable as autumn, subject to weather.

Is the A40 closed at Witney?

Yes, eastbound. Since 5 October, the A40 eastbound between the Downs Road bridge and the B4022 slip road is covered by an emergency closure notice for works by M Group. The anticipated completion date is 14 October. The notice gives no hours or diversion.

Are the new A40 Shores Green slip roads open?

Yes. The west-facing slip roads at the A40 and B4022 junction opened on 17 July, at a final cost of £26.8 million. The county’s project page is out of date and still describes construction in progress.

Is the A40 being dualled between Witney and Oxford?

Not in the funded scheme. The £126 million A40 project that received planning consent on 30 June delivers bus priority lanes, a new park and ride junction and active travel routes between Eynsham and Wolvercote. Dualling east of Witney is not part of it.

Do I have to pay to park in Witney?

Not in the district council’s car parks, which are free, including all six in Witney. What varies is the maximum stay, from four hours to twelve. On-street parking on West End now needs a resident’s permit or a two-hour stay.

Can I still pay £5 to drive through Oxford’s filters?

No. The traffic filters replaced the congestion charge on 28 September and the payment option has gone. You need a permit or an exempt vehicle, or you go round. Oxfordshire residents outside Oxford can apply for 25 day passes a year.

Sources

• Witney High Street and Market Square delivery, Let’s Talk Oxfordshire for the 28 September to 9 October closure, the bus stop and taxi rank arrangements, the contractor contacts and the £4.4 million revised budget.
• Temporary emergency restriction, A40 eastbound, Downs Road bridge to B4022 slip road, Witney Town Council, 29 September 2026.
• Give your feedback on Oxford’s traffic filter trial, Oxfordshire County Council, 28 September 2026 for the start of the trial and the survey dates.
• Witney Town Council news for the temporary traffic regulation orders at Station Lane, Court Gardens and Judds Close, Lowell Place, Bourton Close and Aldsworth Court, and the Crawley Road closure notice of 17 September.
• Oxfordshire County Council statutory traffic notices published through the Public Notice Portal on 12, 19, 20 and 26 August 2026, for Upavon Way (T18279/AC), Northwood Crescent (T18420/RAG), the A44 at Salford (T18359/RAG), Church Road Chadlington (T18310/RAG), the Minster Lovell and Asthall speed limit orders, the West End permit parking order, and the Barrington Close, Oscar Street, Frog Lane, Stonesfield, Playing Close, Manor Road and Ascott under Wychwood closures.
• Witney High Street and Market Square enhancements scheme, Oxfordshire County Council for phasing, funding and scheme contents.
• How we maintain our roads, Oxfordshire County Council for the resurfacing programme table.
• Access to Witney slip roads open, 17 July 2026 and the A40 Access to Witney / Shores Green project page.
• Major project to improve travel along A40 gets planning approval for the Eynsham to Wolvercote scheme.
• Free park and ride bus travel, Oxfordshire County Council for the 17 August change.
• About the traffic filters, Oxfordshire County Council for filter locations, hours, permits, fines and the Botley Road date.
• Where to park, West Oxfordshire District Council for car park locations, space counts and maximum stays.
• Woodstock Street Fair, Oxfordshire County Council, for the special event order and its end time.
• Oxfordshire County Council traffic notices of 16, 23 and 30 September 2026 on the Public Notice Portal, for North Leigh (T18399/RAG, T18400/RAG, TTRO 570), Bampton (T18155/RAG), Enstone (TTRO 475), Hill Rise in Woodstock (TTRO 566), Swinford (TTRO 412), Charlbury (TTRO 458), Burford (TTRO 529) and Shipton-under-Wychwood (TTRO 699 and 700).
• Reopening of Botley Road, Oxfordshire County Council for the 20 September reopening, the height limit and the Osney Bridge night works.
• Car park upgrades underway across the district, West Oxfordshire District Council, 24 August 2026 for the line repainting programme.

Checked on 6 October 2026 against the sources above. Three things could not be confirmed today. The county’s Let’s Talk page for the High Street refused our connection, so the closure dates come from the county’s scheme page, which still gives 28 September to the end of 9 October; the bus stop and taxi rank details are carried from the Let’s Talk page as read on 30 September. GWR’s engineering works pages returned errors, so rail engineering work on the Cotswold Line is not covered here. The county’s live roadworks map runs on one.network and returns nothing readable to us, so utility closures raised in the last few days may not appear here. Confirm against the county map before you set off.

Getting to a train is its own problem here. Witney train times to London compares the four stations Witney commuters actually use.