Oxfordshire County Council is working with contractors to create the new interchange for drivers at the junction north of Abingdon and the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

There have been a series of alterations as a result of the work and drivers are now being alerted to a major hold-up.

From June 3, the northbound on-slip to the A34 will be closed for about four weeks.

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The junction at Lodge Hill at present only has north-facing slip roads, but the upgrade will add new south-facing slip roads, as well as making cycling and walking easier and safer in the area.

Traffic on the A34 near the Lodge Hill junction (Image: Ed Nix)

Adding the south-facing slip roads will reduce traffic in the town centre as some drivers will no longer have to travel through it to access the A34 southbound at the Marcham Interchange.

Highways bosses say stage one and stage two of the work has now been completed, with stage three about to get under way. The entire project is expected to be completed later this year.

Stage three involves:

• A34 northbound on slip realignment takes place and construction of north and south roundabout central sections.

• Continue construction of new A34 northbound off slip and new A34 southbound on slip.

• North roundabout verge works.

A county council spokesman said: “From June 3, the northbound on-slip to the A34 will be closed, for a period of approximately four weeks.

“The closure will be in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week during this period.

“The closure will facilitate the construction and tie-in of the existing slip road to the new north roundabout.

“A diversion route will be in place via the A4183 Oxford Road. Vehicles wishing to travel northbound on the A34 will need to use the Hinksey Hill interchange.

“A similar closure for the southbound off-slip will follow in early July. Further details of this will be communicated closer to the time.”

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran (Image: Contributed)

The interchange scheme near Abingdon is primarily funded by a £17m-plus grant from Homes England’s Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land (BIL) fund, with additional funding from developer contributions and the Housing Growth Deal.

In July last year it emerged that the budget for the work had risen to £36.09m to address rising costs.

For years, local councillors and Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, pressed the Government for the funding to allow the junction scheme to go ahead.

The Northern Bypass Road heading westbound away from Headington in Oxford was closed shortly before 3am on Wednesday, May 27 due to an ongoing police incident.

A significant emergency responders presence was seen on the road and traffic was prohibited from using the carriageway and slip roads at Marsh Lane for the rest of the morning.

READ MORE: Oxford: Road closed due to major police incident on A40

Thames Valley Police has now confirmed a man in his 20s died following reports of a fear for welfare incident, which occurred shortly after 2.45am.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We were called at around 2.45am this morning (May 27) following reports of a fear for welfare on the A40, near to Headington. 

“Emergency services attended but sadly a man aged in his 20s was pronounced deceased at the scene.

“His death is being treated as unexplained, but not suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.

“His family have been informed and are being supported.”

READ MORE: Oxford congestion charge fines include ‘deceased’ drivers

The road remains closed westbound between Barton Lane and Marsh Lane, including the Marsh Lane flyover, as of 11.30am on Wednesday.

Drivers have been reporting long delays and congestion backed up to the Headington Roundabout and further along the A40 London Road.

Oxfordshire County Council has been approached on whether the Marston Ferry Road congestion charge point may be suspended while the A40 westbound and Marsh Lane access remains closed.

The jump will equate to a rise of £18 a month for the average household using both electricity and gas.

The typical household is now facing an annual energy cost of £1,862, up £221 on current levels, with early forecasts that this will rise further still in October.

How to get a better deal for gas and electricity

Martin Lewis has long suggested households should check the market and look for better deals – often in the form of a fixed tariff.

He says get off the Energy Price Cap – or the ‘pants cap’, as he calls it. The Money Saving Expert founder added that the cheapest fix depends on where you live and how much you use, so urged billpayers to do a comparison.

It’s predicted next week Ofgem will announce the July energy Price Cap will rise c13%. So people are asking what happened to the promised £150 off bills…

Just a snip from the Martin Lewis Podcast beat energy bill hikes episode now on https://t.co/9zQOoDXsZw, Apple, Spotify &… pic.twitter.com/rf1Jmc4CrL

— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) May 22, 2026

He says to choose the best-fixed deal, customers should use a comparison site that takes in the whole market by default rather than cutting out some suppliers who do not pay to be listed. 

He recommended his own  Cheap Energy Club , as it compares all energy deals, rather than just the sponsored options.

“And remember that when you do a comparison, remember that the savings you’re given on the cheapest fix are compared to the current price cap,” he says.

How do I start the switching process?

As a rule of thumb, Which? recommends looking for deals – start with a price comparison website – that are cheaper than the price cap (this is where comparing gas and electricity unit rates is important, rather than looking at headline figures), not longer than 12 months and without significant exit fees.

Price comparison site Uswitch said households can currently lock in a rate that undercuts the July cap by around £250 for the average home, warning: “For anyone still on a standard tariff, your bill will go up unless you act.”

What else can I do to cut my bills?

There are other ways to potentially save on your energy bills, including checking if your energy supplier offers free electricity, such as British Gas’s PeakSave or E.on’s Pledge tariff. This could help to reduce your bill without cutting back on usage.

Households should also check and adjust their boiler flow settings: If you have a combi boiler, reducing the flow temperature to 60C or below could lower your bills.

Using an air fryer instead of an oven will cut energy usage, as will turning down the thermostat, running the washing machine in off-peak hours and taking appliances off standby.

It is also important to avoid estimated bills. If you don’t have a smart meter, send regular meter readings to your supplier to ensure direct debits are set at the right amount.

What is the energy price cap?

The term is quite confusing and it’s important to note it’s not the maximum price you will pay – it’s an average. If you use more, you will pay more.

Recommended reading:

The cap was introduced on January 1 2019 by regulator Ofgem, with the aim of preventing the millions of households on expensive variable tariffs from being ripped off.

But it only limits what you pay for each unit of gas and electricity that you use .

It’s based roughly on wholesale energy prices (those that firms pay) and applies only to providers’ standard and default tariffs, which the vast majority of households are now on.