National contractor GRAHAM has achieved a key milestone on the £37m Clifton Hampden Bypass project after opening part of the new carriageway to traffic for the first time.
The scheme’s first major traffic switch was successfully implemented on 12 October, just six months after GRAHAM was appointed to deliver the project. The bypass forms part of Oxfordshire County Council’s wider £332m Didcot and surrounding areas major infrastructure (HIF1) programme, designed to improve journey reliability, strengthen active travel links and support housing and employment growth across south Oxfordshire.
Once complete, the Clifton Hampden Bypass will provide a new 2.2km single carriageway linking the B4015 Oxford Road with the A415 at Culham Science Centre, diverting through traffic away from Clifton Hampden village.
The traffic switch followed a 62-hour continuous operation that began on 9 October, with teams completing excavation works, pavement construction, drainage connections, road markings, signage installation and commissioning activities within a tightly managed timeframe.
The change has altered access arrangements for Culham Science Centre, the business area at Culham Site No.1 and Culham railway station, with all three locations now accessed via newly constructed highway sections. The new layout is expected to improve access to the station for commuters and local residents while allowing existing road sections to be incorporated into the bypass construction.
The milestone concludes a significant first earthworks season for the project. Alongside extensive cut-and-fill operations, embankment construction and route preparation, GRAHAM has delivered a dedicated footpath connecting pedestrians and cyclists to Culham station and nearby bus stops. All five major culverts have now been installed, along with substantial sections of the permanent drainage network.
The completion of the switch also creates additional working areas, enabling the next phase of bypass construction to progress safely and efficiently.
When finished, the scheme will feature segregated walking and cycling facilities and is expected to remove significant volumes of through traffic from Clifton Hampden village, including the area surrounding the local primary school.
John Deery, Project Director at GRAHAM, said: “It’s a great feeling to see cars on the new road. A lot of work went into that weekend, and I’m proud of how the team and our supply chain pulled together to get it done.
“We’ve worked alongside Oxfordshire County Council for a long time now, and that relationship really matters on a job like this. We plan together, we’re honest about the challenges and we tackle them together. That’s what being a partner means to us.
“The Clifton Hampden Bypass and the Didcot to Culham River Crossing are two parts of the same picture. Together with the wider Didcot scheme, they’ll make a real difference to how people get around this part of Oxfordshire. We’re proud to be playing such a big part in it.”
Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, added: “The successful completion of the traffic switch marks a significant achievement for this section of the scheme, enabling traffic to utilise newly constructed sections of highway while providing access to local businesses and maintaining connectivity with the local road network.
“The transformation across the site has been remarkable and I am pleased with how well the project is progressing.”