Government officials have agreed to foot half the £10m bill for planned improvements to the Chilton interchange on the A34.

The Department of Transport has agreed to give £5m to Oxfordshire County Council as part of the local authority’s plan to improve the junction which currently has no access to or from the north.

New slip roads on the north side of the junction would ease pressure on the Milton Interchange, near Didcot, by offering an alternative route to access the Science Vale UK area off the A34 from the north.

As part of the scheme two new roundabouts will have to be built either side of the dual carriageway. It is estimated work will start in July and take a year to complete.