The government has today announced the preferred Corridor for the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/route-announced-to-unlock-full-potential-of-englands-economic-heartland).
Oxfordshire County Council Statement: Highways England’s announcement of preferred Corridor for the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway
Oxfordshire County Council welcomes the announcement of a preferred Corridor for part of the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway as it offers a degree of clarity on where the final scheme would go. However we are very disappointed that we still don’t know about access to the M40 through Oxfordshire.
Highways England, who are leading on this national project, have identified Corridor B as their proposal, the central corridor from the three broad corridors being considered. However, we still have no indication on which of the sub-options around Oxford would be taken forward.
We will now carefully study the Corridor put forward, including the justification and technical detail which has led to this choice, and how it would affect already stretched roads, such as the A34 and interface with other schemes including East West Rail.
As a member of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, we strongly support better transport links and other infrastructure between Oxford and Cambridge in this strategically important corridor. However, we have set 3 tests to assess the decision-making process for that corridor and, eventually, the final route choice:
- Impact on the A34: it should provide relief to congestion on the A34 and function as a separate strategic route, allowing the A34 around Oxford to work better for local traffic
- Pressure on existing roads: It should not increase pressure on overstretched roads
- Conflation with other schemes: It should be developed separately but alongside other local schemes, to ensure the highway network works for Oxfordshire overall
This initiative aims to be a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to unlock growth that can help us to continue developing thriving, well connected communities for all in Oxfordshire. Invariably, a project of this magnitude and ambition will have an impact, which we will need to ensure is mitigated. That is why we are working with Highways England and in partnership with other councils, organisations and businesses to get the best deal for Oxfordshire. We will continue to do this, and seek clarity on how the corridor choice is developed so that a decision can be made on the best route for the scheme.