I received a notice from the Highways Agency. It says:

…We will be undertaing essential safety improvement work on the A34 southbound embankment, approximately 50 metres south of the Wytham Godstow Flyover. Badger excavations have destabilised the area adjacent to the existing safety barrier, and to ensure continued road user safety, we will be carrying out embankment strengthening work over a distance of approximately 30 metres along the southbound carriageway verge in order to protect the badger sett and stabilise the embankment.

To ensure work is carried out in accordance with the badger licence issued by Natural England, an ecologist will be supervising the works each night.

The work is programmed to start on Monday 17 October 2011, and should take approximately one week to complete, weather permitting. For the safety of our workforce and other road users, work will be carried out at night between 9pm and 5am, when traffic flows are at their lowest. During these hours there will be a lane closure on the southbound carriageway.

I would like to apologise in advance for any disturbance or inconvenience cause by the works. I would like to emphasise, however, that the Highways Agency and its contractors work to strict procedures to ensure minimal noise at night.

Should you require any further information regarding this scheme, please contact the Highwys Agency Information line on 0300 123 5000 or email them at ha_infor@highways.gsi.gov.uk