Oxfordshire County Council will add traffic lights to 'dangerous' roundabout

Safety work on and around The Plain will be completed later this month, the council has said

Traffic lights will be trialled at a roundabout considered "dangerous" and "congested" by councillors.

Oxfordshire County Council will add lights on the approach to Oxford's Plain Roundabout from 15:00 GMT to 19:00, between 5 and 9 February.

It is hoped the lights on Iffley Road and Magdalen Bridge will ease traffic flow.

An Oxford University professor, who was cycling, died in a crash at the roundabout in 2022.

Mother-of-two Dr Ling Felce, 35, was hit by a lorry, being driven by Robert Whiting - an unqualified, uninsured lorry driver who was more than eight times over the drug-drive limit. He was jailed for eight years.

County Councillor Damian Haywood admitted the primary aim of the project was to ease congestion between St Clements and Cowley Road.

But he added the authority was interested to see the safety impact of the lights.

He said: "It's an incredibly dangerous part of the road network there. There are regular near-misses."

Ling Felce died after she was hit by a lorry in area while cycling in 2022

About 12,000 bike journeys a day are made at Plain Roundabout during term-time, the council said.

Councillor Emily Kerr, who represents the St Mary's Ward, said: "It's great that the county council is trialling traffic lights at the Plain to help speed up the buses on St Clements.

"I gather several smaller trials haven't worked so a more significant intervention is clearly needed.

"As we know, the East Oxford LTNs in my ward have had a huge number of positive effects - accidents halved, cycling up 20%, car use down 10%, pollution cut for 90% of residents but the key issue is we also know they've caused increased congestion at the Plain especially from St Clements.

"I welcome this trial which should hopefully improve bus times and I'll be following the results closely."

Oxfordshire County Council said: "During the trial period the traffic in the immediate area of the Plain Roundabout will be continually monitored and should the traffic network in the area become overly congested the trial will be suspended."

A road safety camera aimed at deterring dangerous driving was added to the junction last year.

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