Breaking down England's fiscal devolution plans
David Phillips of the IFS tells LocalGov why England's regional finance reforms are modest by global comparison and what ministers still need to get right.
Highways: Few diversions in quest to replace Oxford viaduct
A major, £44.4M project to completely replace the Wolvercote viaduct on the A34 near Oxford began this week.
The viaduct carries the A34 dual carriageway trunk road – Oxford western bypass – over the River Thames flood plain, the Oxford to Birmingham mainline railway, the Oxford Canal and the A40 Oxford to Cheltenham road.
In the first phase of work, a temporary, southbound bridge deck will be built to the east of the existing viaduct, so traffic can be diverted on to this while the new viaduct is built.
During this first phase, other than some overnight closures, two narrower lanes for 500m in both directions will be kept open during the day on the A34 for the duration of the scheme. A 40mph speed limit, enforced by average speed safety cameras, will be in place for the protection of road-users and road workers.
