The continued case for improvements to the A34

I keep hearing from constituents about dreadful lane management, inadequate slip roads, and genuine fears that, even for experienced drivers, one mistake could end in tragedy.

Beyond the glaring safety concerns, every incident brings wider disturbance too: diverting commuters through nearby villages, disrupting businesses, and putting additional pressure on already stretched local roads.

It has become an unnecessary daily worry on top of the pressures at work and the rising cost-of-living.

While the Government’s recent Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) disappointingly confirmed that major A34 upgrade proposals north and south of Oxford would not move forward due to “significant affordability and deliverability challenges,” I have continued pressing both the Department for Transport and National Highways on what practical safety improvements can still be delivered.

In my letter to Ministers, I highlighted a range of lower-cost but equally important upgrades to signage, road markings, LED road studs, average speed cameras – all of which could make vital differences to dangerously poor levels of visibility and lane merging around slip roads.

The Government confirmed that, despite the wider RIS3 decision, National Highways’ targeted safety study at key locations including Chieveley, East Isley, and Beedon is still underway. I have since written to National Highways seeking further detail on the stud’s progress and whether the A34 will feature within their upcoming Delivery Plan, due to be published this summer. I will also be meeting with them in the coming weeks to discuss what concrete improvements can realistically be delivered in the short and medium term.

This has, and continues to be, a cross-party effort. I co-sponsored neighbouring MP Olivia Bailey’s Ten-Minute Bill focused on safety at East Isley and Beedon slip roads, building on the work of parliamentary colleagues, campaigners, and constituents from across the Southeast.

I will keep pushing for the practical safety measures and the investment needed to make journeys much safer for everyone who relies on this vital route.