Construction will start this winter on improvements designed to make bus journeys into and out of Banbury Cherwell Street more reliable. The project was given the go-ahead at an Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member decision meeting on Thursday 4 September. Work is expected to finish in summer 2026.
The council, together with its contractor M Group Limited, will build bus priority measures and improve traffic signals along Cherwell Street and the area between the George Street and Bridge Street junctions. Pedestrian crossings will also be upgraded to benefit people walking, cycling, and wheeling to bus stops, the town centre, and Banbury Rail Station.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Transport Management said: “Banbury’s Cherwell Street is heavily congested, causing frequent bus delays. These improvements will make bus travel into and out of central Banbury more reliable and so more attractive.
“We have used feedback from public engagement to change the design, maintaining the number of lanes through the two junctions, while still prioritising bus movement and improving pedestrian safety with better crossings.
“When finished, these improvements will complement future upgrades planned for Banbury, like the eastern strategic cycle lane.”
The work involves improving the current George Street bus lane, access for buses into Bridge Street west and the crossing facilities and signalling at the Bridge Street junction.
The county council consulted on an early design in spring 2024 and revised it using feedback and transport modelling data. A second consultation took place in spring 2025, with the final design determined after considering further feedback and a road safety audit. Input from local councillors, Stagecoach Bus, business groups and active travel advocates was also taken into account.
The Cherwell Street project complements access improvements already underway at Banbury Rail Station and is part of plans to enhance sustainable transport options in the town. This includes the eastern active travel corridor project to upgrade cycling and walking routes from Overthorpe to Bridge Street Park.
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