‘It’s becoming dangerous’ – Villagers near Banbury say influx of traffic from A361 closure is causing road chaos
Villagers in Cropredy have complained that the influx of traffic passing through their village and nearby small country lanes following the closure of the A361 is causing chaos.
The A361, the main connection between Banbury and Daventry, was closed on Monday after a sinkhole appeared near a bridge just north of Wardington.
Following the closure, Oxfordshire County Council’s highways team suggested a diversion route while repairs are made.
The suggested diversion route for motorists includes taking the A423 Southam Road and then the A425 Daventry Road and vice versa.
However, villagers in Cropredy have said that many drivers are not taking the suggested diversion route and instead using their village and country lanes.
One Cropredy resident, Jen Jackson, says the amount of traffic, including articulated lorries using the roads between Cropredy and Chipping Warden, is becoming dangerous.
She said: “Many drivers are now driving through Cropredy, then travelling along the single-track road to Appletree before taking the turn to Chipping Warden.
“I use that road to get to work, and usually I never see another car but yesterday there was an HGV in front of me and about 15 cars behind me.
“It’s chaos, with cars getting stuck everywhere and people having to get out and push their vehicles out of the mud.”
Jen says she is now anxious about using Appletree Road and is leaving work earlier to avoid the potential risk of being stuck in mud or caught behind stuck vehicles.
Jen said: “There’s no way heavy goods vehicles should be using that road anyway, and because of the muddy road surface, it’s becoming dangerous.
“Even in normal circumstances, that road is hard to navigate with all the potholes and mud, so now it is absolute carnage.
“The traffic is causing further damage to the road, and it won’t be long before the road becomes impassable.”
Jen hopes that something will be done to deter drivers from using Appletree Road as a cut-through while repairs, which could last months, are made to the A361.
She said: “It’s an absolute nightmare at the minute, and something needs to be done.”