Witney High Street switched to northbound-only traffic on 10 August and stays that way until November. Plus the new A40 slip roads and where to park for free.
From Monday 10 August 2026 the Witney High Street and Market Square works moved to their second phase. Work is now on the eastern side of the street and traffic movements are northbound only until the scheme finishes, which Oxfordshire County Council has scheduled for November. Access to every business on the High Street and Market Square is being maintained throughout.
Phase 1, on the western side with southbound-only traffic, ran from early May to the start of August. If you have been driving south through the town centre for the last three months, that is the movement that has just reversed.
What the High Street scheme is building
The project is funded by a £1.98 million grant from the government’s Active Travel Fund and is meant to lock in the town centre traffic arrangement introduced after through traffic was reduced. When it is done, Witney gets:
- around 2,000 square metres of resurfaced footway and over 1,000 square metres of new footway space
- 10 marked disabled parking places
- new seating areas and new trees
- a new bus stop for community transport, plus a 16 metre taxi bay, with taxi access to the shared space after 5pm on weekdays and after 2pm on Saturdays
- a new traffic priority arrangement at the High Street and Welch Way junction, with a central island for cyclists turning right
Oxfordshire County Council takes questions on the scheme at witneyhighstreet@oxfordshire.gov.uk.
The A40, and what actually changed in July
Almost every journey out of Witney meets the A40, and the road is run by Oxfordshire County Council rather than National Highways, so the county is who to chase when it goes wrong.
The single biggest change in years happened on 17 July 2026, when the new west-facing slip roads at the A40 and B4022 Shores Green junction opened. They give Witney a direct eastbound off-slip and westbound on-slip at the eastern edge of the town, which had been argued for locally for decades. Enabling works began on 10 February 2025 and main construction in May 2025, delivered by M Group at a final cost of £26.8 million, against an earlier published estimate of £25 million.
The next phase is bigger and has not started. On 30 June 2026 Oxfordshire County Council secured planning consent for the A40 Eynsham park and ride to Wolvercote scheme: roughly 7.3 kilometres of bus priority lanes in both directions, a new junction linking the Eynsham park and ride to the A40, upgraded junctions at Cassington and the Lower Road roundabout, and walking and cycling routes on both sides. Phase 1 funding is £126 million from Homes England and the Department for Transport, and Balfour Beatty is set to build it subject to final agreement on cost, programme and terms. Construction is expected to start later in 2026.
Note what is not in it. The long-discussed dualling of the A40 east of Witney is not part of this phase. The scheme is bus priority and active travel, not extra general traffic lanes.
The park and ride change on 17 August
If your Oxford trips run through a park and ride, the price changes in a week.
Free park and ride bus travel in Oxford runs until 16 August 2026. From 17 August it is replaced by a £3 combined ticket covering return bus travel for up to five people of any age plus parking for up to 16 hours. The ticket is valid at Oxford park and ride sites on Stagecoach, Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel buses that serve them.
The Eynsham park and ride is the one nearest Witney. It has 850 spaces, is accessible 24 hours a day, and has security, cycle storage, toilets and electric vehicle bays. Its direct junction onto the A40 is part of the Wolvercote scheme above, which is why the connection is still to come.
Parking in Witney, and it is free
West Oxfordshire District Council states plainly that parking is free in all of its car parks. There is no tariff to check, only a maximum stay.
| Car park | Postcode | Spaces | Maximum stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woolgate | OX28 6AR | 740 standard, 34 disabled | Short stay |
| Marriotts Walk | OX28 6GW | 423 short stay, 150 long stay, 28 disabled | 4 hours on levels 1–6, 9 hours on levels 7–8 |
| Woodford Way | OX28 6GD | 246 standard, 16 EV bays | 12 hours |
| Windrush Leisure Centre | OX28 4YA | 84 standard, 5 disabled | Short stay |
| Gordon Way | OX28 4EL | 50 standard | 12 hours |
| Burwell Drive | OX28 5LP | 40 standard, 2 disabled | 12 hours |
All six are open seven days a week. Woolgate is the largest and the closest to Shopmobility; Woodford Way and Marriotts Walk have the rapid electric vehicle chargers. With the High Street on northbound-only running until November, Woolgate and Marriotts Walk are the sensible approaches from the north, and Woodford Way from the south.
Checking what is closed today
This page covers the schemes that last months. For a road closed this week, use these, in this order:
- Oxfordshire County Council live roadworks, the authoritative map for county roads including the A40, A4095 and B4022.
- Major current roadworks, which carries the project pages for the High Street and Shores Green schemes.
- West Oxfordshire temporary road closures for event closures in the towns and villages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Witney High Street closed?
No. It is open with northbound-only traffic from 10 August 2026 while work runs on the eastern side of the street. Access to all businesses is maintained. The previous phase ran southbound only.
When will the Witney High Street works finish?
Oxfordshire County Council has scheduled completion for November 2026, described elsewhere on its own timetable as autumn 2026, subject to weather.
Are the new A40 Shores Green slip roads open?
Yes. The west-facing slip roads at the A40 and B4022 junction opened on 17 July 2026, at a final cost of £26.8 million.
Is the A40 being dualled between Witney and Oxford?
Not in the funded scheme. The £126 million A40 project that received planning consent on 30 June 2026 delivers bus priority lanes, a new park and ride junction and active travel routes between Eynsham and Wolvercote. Dualling east of Witney is not part of it.
Do I have to pay to park in Witney?
No. West Oxfordshire District Council’s car parks are free, including all six in Witney. What varies is the maximum stay, from four hours to twelve.
Is Oxford park and ride still free?
Free bus travel ends on 16 August 2026. From 17 August a £3 combined ticket covers return bus travel for up to five people and parking for up to 16 hours.
Sources
- Witney High Street and Market Square enhancements scheme, Oxfordshire County Council for phasing, funding and scheme contents.
- A40 Access to Witney / Shores Green project, Oxfordshire County Council and Access to Witney slip roads open, 17 July 2026.
- Major project to improve travel along A40 gets planning approval, 1 July 2026 and A40 improvements.
- Free park and ride bus travel, Oxfordshire County Council for the 17 August 2026 change.
- Where to park, West Oxfordshire District Council for car park locations, space counts and maximum stays.
Checked on 10 August 2026. Roadworks change at short notice; confirm against the county council’s live map before you set off.
Getting to a train is its own problem here. Witney train times to London compares the four stations Witney commuters actually use.
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