A34 Safety: Chieveley to be Included in National Safety Study

For years, I have been raising serious safety concerns about the A34 - particularly the slip roads and junctions around Chieveley.

This is one of the busiest and most important roads in our region. It carries huge volumes of traffic every day, yet we all know that parts of it feel unsafe. I’ve heard directly from residents, commuters, emergency services, and local businesses about near-misses, dangerous merges, and longstanding design concerns.

That’s why I’ve been working with a group of cross-party MPs, pressing Ministers, raising the issue in Parliament, and working directly with National Highways and so much more to push for action.

I’m pleased to confirm that the Government has now commissioned National Highways to carry out a targeted safety study of slip roads on the A34, and crucially, Chieveley is included within the scope of that work.

Following further correspondence with the Minister for Roads and Buses, I have received confirmation that the study is currently underway and that findings are expected by Spring 2026.

This didn’t happen by accident. It follows sustained campaigning, detailed engagement with National Highways, and direct pressure on the Department for Transport. I met National Highways last autumn to ensure local concerns were properly fed into this work, and I have continued to seek clarity and updates from Ministers.

The study will include a high-level assessment of how safety at key locations could be improved. Its conclusions will then feed into the South East regional safety programme and inform future Road Investment Strategies.

This is the first formal step toward securing long-overdue improvements.

Of course, a study is not the same as spades in the ground. I will be watching this process closely to ensure it does not gather dust on a shelf. We need real, tangible safety improvements – not just paperwork.

But this is a significant step forward.

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me, shared their experiences, completed the survey, and supported this campaign. Your voices have made a difference.

I will continue pushing until we see meaningful safety upgrades delivered on the A34, including at Chieveley.