The Government has anounced that
plans for the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway have been scrapped, as it was deemed to “not be cost-effective for the taxpayer”.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said the decision was made after “extensive analysis” of the scheme, which was paused in March 2020.
The road would have linked Oxford with Milton Keynes and Cambridge. There had been fears that part of the route might have passed within a few miles of Long Wittenham.
The expressway had been a key part of infrastructure plans since 2017, and the National Infrastructure Commission had said that the new road and the East West Rail project had to “be built as quickly as possible to unlock land for new homes” in the area known as the Oxford-Cambridge Arc.
However, DfT said: “Extensive analysis and local engagement reveals that the expressway would not be cost-effective for the taxpayer.” It added: “The benefits the road would deliver are outweighed by the costs associated with the project.”
DfT said it would “work on alternative plans” to the expressway alongside building the East West Rail scheme.
More information on the BBC website.