A section of the A40 road in west London is closing from 10pm today for over a month between the Westway roundabout and the Marylebone flyover for safety repairs, according to major media reports. The A40 carries nearly 100,000 vehicles a day, reports indicate. Traffic will be diverted to surrounding roads, causing severe delays, particularly at rush hour, and delays on buses, Transport for London has warned. According to Metro - Main, an AA spokesperson described that the scale and duration of the A40 closure will inevitably cause significant disruption for drivers, with traffic diverting onto surrounding routes and increasing congestion across northwest London. Roads from Camden to Hillingdon, including the A4 corridor in Chiswick, the M4, A312, and A406, will be busier than usual, sources say.
One or more people broke into a compartment of a 5G mast near Cutteslowe Roundabout in Oxford at around 8:45pm on Thursday, March 5, multiple reports indicate. An unidentified liquid was used to start a fire at the 5G mast. Fire services attended and believed the fire was started deliberately, reporting it to Thames Valley Police. No one was injured during the incident. Thames Valley Police launched an investigation into the arson. A huge emergency response, including fire crews, police, ambulance, and electricity technicians, attended the 5G mast fire. According to an Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson, firefighters cordoned off the area, extinguished the fire, and monitored the temperature over several hours before handing over to the telecommunications company.
Eid is tomorrow. We will be full, and usually we are full and busy on Saturdays. Most of our customers drive, some come from east London, but a lot of them from west London and places like Acton. I need to let them know about the closure.
The A40 in Oxford was closed following the arson, causing major traffic delays into Friday morning, March 6. Traffic was diverted to other routes, including the B4495 Marston Ferry Road, causing delays. Oxfordshire County Council retrospectively suspended the congestion charge for Marston Ferry Road on Friday morning, March 6, meaning no fines were applied and prepaid charges will be refunded. An Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson stated that the Marston Ferry Road congestion charge was suspended due to the A40 closure from the fire. The A40 at Cutteslowe in Oxford reopened on Saturday, March 7, after over 24 hours of closure, with traffic flow returning to normal, as confirmed by OxonTravel.
An incident occurred on Oxford High Street, outside University Church and the Radcliffe Camera, starting 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 Catte Street, St Mary's Passage, and paths by the Radcliffe Camera. The University Church of St Mary the Virgin closed for the rest of the day from about 10:50am. According to a Thames Valley Police spokesperson, emergency services are at the scene of a fear for welfare in High Street, Oxford, with a significant presence and public asked to avoid the area. The University of Oxford press office declined to comment and directed enquiries to the police.
They are going to close it anyways, so what are you going to do? Luckily, it is not affecting our supplier. I drive, but I’m coming from a different direction so I’m not affected, and our staff are okay too.
The diverted routes in London are expected to be heavily congested, with the closure causing significant disruption and congestion across northwest London, and delays rippling across the wider network, according to reports. According to Metro - Main, Ayman Al Zubaidi, owner of Hijazi Corner in Marylebone, described concerns about the closure impacting Eid customers who drive from areas like Acton. According to Metro - Main, the manager at Italian restaurant L’Angolo Bianco described that while the closure is proceeding, it is not affecting their supplier or staff who come from different directions.
Thames Valley Police are investigating the arson attack, with Detective Sergeant Lisa Jones appealing for witnesses or dash cam footage from around 8:45pm on March 5. The exact cause or motive behind the arson attack on the 5G mast in Oxford remains unknown, and no suspects have been identified or arrests made. The specific nature of the 'fear for welfare' incident in Oxford High Street on March 10 has not been disclosed by authorities. The financial impact of the A40 closure in London on local businesses during Eid and beyond, as well as long-term traffic management plans to mitigate congestion, are not yet clear.
The AA recognises that this is essential safety work on one of London’s key arterial routes, but the scale and duration of the A40 closure will inevitably cause significant disruption for drivers. The A40 is one of the busiest strategic roads on the TfL network, carrying close to 100,000 vehicles a day, so closing it in both directions for several weeks is likely to have a wide-ranging impact well beyond the immediate area. Traffic will not simply disappear – it will divert onto surrounding routes, increasing congestion across northwest London and putting additional pressure on already busy roads. Drivers should expect delays to “ripple” across the wider network, particularly at peak times, with diversion routes and local roads likely to