Oxfordshire's 'worst road' resurfaced due to safety concerns
A road dubbed the "worst in Oxfordshire" has been resurfaced, after users called on the authorities to make it safer.Work to resurface the A417 between Faringdon and Wantage was carried out by Oxfordshire County Council last week.The council said recent dry weather meant the it was able to bring forward the programme of work, which had originally been planned for late June.Locals had previously told the BBC that the road was decaying and prone to flooding, with vehicles often having to drive through deep potholes.
In a statement, the council said: "Persistent flooding in the area had made it difficult to carry out these much-needed repairs, which needed to be completed in dry conditions."It added that further work to clean drainage systems was planned "for the coming months".
Talking before the resurfacing work, Steve Henry, who runs an MOT workshop at Mellor's Garage, said the state of the road was "shocking" and "disgusting".Mr Henry, who used to own the garage he operates from, told the BBC: "It's cost me my business. I had to sell it last year. It was closed for a period of time, flooded."If you're on a motorbike or pushbike it's dangerous. Someone will lose their life," he warned.Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber also raised concerns about the route, asking on his Facebook page: "Is this the worst road in Oxfordshire?""It's bad enough on four wheels, but imagine riding this stretch of road on a bicycle or motorbike," the post added.
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