A major programme to improve travel in Didcot and nearby villages has reached a fresh milestone, with Oxfordshire County Council appointing GRAHAM to deliver the Clifton Hampden Bypass element of the Didcot and surrounding areas major infrastructure (HIF1) scheme.

This award is the second of three construction contracts for the scheme, which is designed to provide essential transport infrastructure and reduce congestion.

The project aims to provide more reliable journey times, enhance walking and cycling links, support new employment sites and housing in and around Didcot, and enable improved bus services. The Clifton Hampden Bypass will re‑route A415 traffic around the village of Clifton Hampden.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Development Strategy, said: "The A415 is a busy road that experiences a large amount of through traffic and congestion on the A415 to A4074. It runs right through Clifton Hampden, including past the village primary school. This bypass will completely transform that, moving traffic onto a new road to the north of the village.

-- Advertisement --

"I'm very pleased that we've successfully appointed a contractor to provide this much needed bypass."

The bypass will comprise a new single carriageway with segregated shared walking and cycling facilities, linking the A415 at Culham Science Centre to the B4015 Oxford Road to the north of Clifton Hampden.

A new roundabout at the western end will provide access to Culham Science Centre and Culham railway station. Additional junctions are planned to the east of the new roundabout on the existing A415, as well as at the north‑eastern end of the new road.

Andrew Henry, GRAHAM Contracts Director said: "GRAHAM's latest appointment by Oxfordshire County Council reflects our ongoing partnership with the local authority. We are pleased to have been appointed to deliver this important infrastructure scheme, which will play a key role in improving connectivity in and around Didcot.

"At GRAHAM, we bring a strong track record of delivering complex infrastructure projects, and we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with Oxfordshire County Council to successfully deliver this scheme and create lasting benefits for the region."

Pauline Schaffer, Director – Infrastructure Funding, Homes England, said the appointment of GRAHAM by Oxfordshire County Council is another major step forward in delivering vital transport improvements for Didcot and the surrounding areas. "Homes England's investment through the Housing Infrastructure Fund is helping to bring forward the Didcot infrastructure scheme, unlocking much needed new homes and economic growth for the local area."

Enabling works, including site clearance, archaeology investigations and utility diversions, are already under way. Main construction is expected to begin in the spring and take approximately two years.