Chaos expected on main road between Daventry and Banbury 'for months' after huge sinkhole appears

The A361 was closed today (Monday December 2) following a hole in the surface near Wardington. Traffic building up has been intense according to residents of Chipping Warden.

Oxfordshire County Council’s highways authority confirmed the closure this morning and has suggested a diversion that would take heavy goods vehicles some 35 miles out of its way, if they avoid country lanes.

Residents of the surrounding villages – Appletree, Culworth, Chacombe and others – are likely to expect a huge increase in traffic, including HGVs, trying to get to and from Banbury and the M40.

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman told our sister paper the Banbury Guardian: “We have carried out an inspection.

“There is a sinkhole adjacent to our culvert which carries a channel of the River Cherwell beneath the A361, just north of Wardington.

"It is likely that there is scour to the bed of the culvert which has undermined the foundation but not caused its collapse. As the sinkhole is linked to the structure it is likely to take several weeks or months to fix.

“The suggested alternative route is the A423 Southam Rd to A425 Daventry Road and vice versa.”

The HS2 works, which have resulted in huge increases in HGV traffic along that road, are based just outside Chipping Warden, half a mile from the bridge.