The A40 in west London is closing from 10pm today for over a month between the Westway roundabout and the Marylebone flyover for safety repairs. The road carries nearly 100,000 vehicles a day, and traffic will be diverted to surrounding roads, causing severe delays, particularly at rush hour, and delays on buses. Businesses fear the closure and congestion could impact customers during Eid celebrations. Roads from Camden to Hillingdon, including the A4 corridor in Chiswick, M4, A312, and A406, will be busier than usual.
In Oxford, one or more people broke into a compartment of a 5G mast near Cutteslowe Roundabout at around 8:45pm on Thursday, March 5, and used an unidentified liquid to start a fire. Fire services attended the scene and believed the fire was started deliberately, reporting it to Thames Valley Police. No one was injured during the incident. Thames Valley Police is conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.
An incident on Oxford High Street, outside University Church and the Radcliffe Camera, started at about 11am on Tuesday, March 10. There was a heavy police response with at least three vehicles, ambulances, and a critical care response unit. Cordons were put in place on entrances to Catte Street and St Mary's Passage, and on paths by the Radcliffe Camera. The University Church of St Mary the Virgin announced the church and its tower would be closed for the rest of the day from about 10:50am.
The A40 was closed on Friday afternoon as investigation work carried out, causing further disruption to motorists on the Oxford ring road and A34 section northbound near Peartree. Oxfordshire County Council retrospectively suspended the congestion charge for drivers who used Marston Ferry Road on Friday morning, March 6, meaning no fines will be applied and prepaid charges will be refunded. The A40 at Cutteslowe in Oxford has now reopened, and traffic flow has returned to normal.