WORK to improve journeys on the A34 outside Oxfordshire will start next month, Highways England has confirmed.

A series of changes will be made on the critical road, including layby improvements to two northbound laybys between Chieveley and Beedon junctions.

Existing signs will be replaced by larger, more prominent ones.

Overgrown vegetation to their entry slips will be cut back to make them more visible to motorists.

READ MORE: Key to revamp the A34 if potential is to be reached – expert

Improved signage will also be placed at Gore Hill, and the East Ilsley junction carriageway will be widened. Vegetation will be cleared and more road markings will be added there.

Enhanced road markings and LED road studs will be added at Chilton.

These will be continuously lit at night to highlight the main carriageway and slip roads in advance rather than relying on vehicles' headlights to illuminate road studs.

John Henderson, Highways England's route manager for the A34, said: “This is great news and confirms that the improvements for the A34 which we identified in our safety review last year will go ahead.

"The A34 generally performs well on safety, and has fewer collisions than other roads of its type.

"This series of upgrades will provide real improvements for people in Oxfordshire and the tens of thousands of drivers who depend on the road every day.”

It is regarded a problematic road in Oxfordshire, on which even the most minor accident can cause long tailbacks on even the quietest of days.

It is unclear whether the road could be used by Highways England for a future Oxford-Cambridge expressway.

The agency is expected to lead a consultation on that potential multi-billion pound project later this year, potentially starting next month.