Construction Work Finally Set to Begin on Delayed A40 Park-and-Ride Link

Construction work to connect Oxfordshire’s long-completed Eynsham Park and Ride site to the A40 is scheduled to begin in mid-June following years of delays linked to funding pressures and rising construction costs.

Oxfordshire County Council is expected to formally appoint Balfour Beatty to deliver the wider A40 improvement programme, which includes new road infrastructure, bus priority measures and active travel upgrades between Eynsham and Wolvercote.

Park and ride completed but left inaccessible

The 850-space park-and-ride facility was physically completed in 2024 but has remained unused because no direct road access was in place.

The site was originally developed as part of a wider £70m transport improvement programme designed to reduce congestion along the heavily used A40 corridor west of Oxford.

While construction of the car park itself was completed using ring-fenced funding, inflationary pressures and wider cost increases forced delays to the remainder of the scheme.

A planning application to connect the facility to the A40 was later submitted in July 2025.

Wider A40 improvements planned

The next phase of works will involve construction of approximately four-and-a-half miles of highway improvements, including:

• New bus lanes

• Dedicated cycle routes

• Additional pedestrian crossings

• A signalised junction serving the park-and-ride site

• Upgrades to Eynsham Roundabout

The overall programme is intended to improve public transport reliability, encourage sustainable travel and reduce congestion along one of Oxfordshire’s busiest commuter corridors.

The park and ride itself is currently expected to open during 2027, with the wider A40 scheme scheduled for completion in 2028.

Delays blamed on rising costs

Oxfordshire County Council said the wider project was temporarily paused after significant inflationary pressures affected the overall budget.

Council cabinet member for finance Dan Levy acknowledged public frustration surrounding the unused facility, describing the situation as “embarrassing” but arguing that building the park and ride when funding became available had ultimately saved substantial sums of money.

He also said the revised scheme now better reflects available funding levels while satisfying environmental requirements associated with the route.

Supporting housing and economic growth

The wider A40 improvements are also intended to support major planned housing developments in west Oxfordshire, including the proposed Salt Cross Garden Village development between Witney and Oxford.

The scheme is expected to improve transport connectivity, support future employment growth and encourage greater use of public transport and active travel options across the corridor.