High Wycombe Roadworks: Amersham Hill and Handy Cross Slips

The A404 Amersham Road and Amersham Hill in High Wycombe stay shut overnight on weeknights until Friday 20 November. The closure runs from 7pm to 7am, Monday to Friday, for resurfacing. Buckinghamshire Council’s roadworks list, last updated on Friday 6 November, also books for the Wycombe area:

• Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 November, 9.30am to 2.30pm: New Road, Walters Ash, closed for joint cutting and new road markings.
• Monday 9 to Friday 13 November: stump replacement work on Hill Bottom Road, High Wycombe.
• Monday 9 to Friday 27 November: 41 zebra and pedestrian crossings across the county are refreshed, with short overnight closures at each crossing. The council does not list which ones.

At Handy Cross, National Highways has booked four overnight slip and link road closures at M40 junction 4 between Saturday 7 and Thursday 12 November. They are listed under the motorway section below.

Chiltern trains through High Wycombe run close to normal on Thursday 12 November, when the RMT has called industrial action. The details are under trains below.

Roadworks change every week. The first part of this page is how to check what is shut today. The rest is the part that does not change: the roads that carry this area, what parking costs, and the ways around the towns that do not involve a car.

How to check what is shut today

• The council’s roadworks list is refreshed most weeks and lists the significant council schemes county-wide in plain English. It is the quickest read. The council also emails a weekly release of its road improvement works; the list was last updated on Friday 6 November, and this page follows that edition. It covers council schemes only, so utility works never appear on it.
• one.network is the map the council itself points residents to. It runs on Department for Transport permit data, so it shows every permitted set of works, who is doing it, the dates and the traffic management. Expect it to ask you to create a free account before it shows the full list.
• National Highways’ road closure report covers full closures on the motorways and trunk roads seven days ahead. The edition we read on Saturday 7 November, uploaded on 6 November, runs to Thursday 12 November. National Highways says it uploads a new list every day, so a closure can appear with a few days’ notice and no announcement. Check it before a night drive on the M40.
• Report a pothole or a street light goes to Buckinghamshire Council. It is the highway authority for every road here except the M40 and the A404(M).

One authority runs almost all of it. Since 2020 Buckinghamshire Council has been responsible for the roads, the car parks, the street lights and the gritting across High Wycombe, Marlow, Princes Risborough and the villages. Only the motorway and the A404(M) belong to National Highways.

What is live now

The council lists these as its own schemes. Utility works are not on that list and only show on the one.network map.

The Amersham Hill closure now has a stretch: the list of 6 November puts it between Lucas Road and Chadwick Street. It still gives no diversion route. The road is open in the day and at weekends.

The jobs that ran this week have come off the list: Coombe Lane in Naphill, the Marlow obelisk lights, and the relining on Knights Templar Way and on Wycombe Road in Stokenchurch.

The council’s street lighting phase replaces 13 damaged columns with new columns and LED lanterns and runs to 7 December. It names High Wycombe, Downley and Penn among the places, alongside Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Buckingham, Chesham and Halton.

The council warns that the dates are weather dependent and can change at short notice, and that there is no weekend or bank holiday working unless a scheme says so.

Marlow Bridge: off the council’s list

The Grade I listed suspension bridge has been under structural maintenance since 3 November 2025. The work included replacing the twelve bearings that carry the deck and cleaning and repainting the steelwork underneath. Its last booked overnight closures, 8pm to 6am, ran from Monday 28 September to Friday 2 October.

The scheme is not on the council’s lists of 9, 16 or 26 October, or of 30 October and 6 November. The council’s Marlow Bridge project page, read again on 3 November, still listed only the June and July closures, so it neither confirms that the structural work is finished nor says whether the parking bays by Higginson Park and in Pound Lane car park, suspended for the scheme, are back in use. Check the signs before you park there.

The structural phase is not the whole programme. The council has said the decorative restoration follows, in 2026 to 2027. The bridge carries a weight restriction, so it has never been a through route for anything larger than a car.

Correction, 19 September 2026: this page said on 16 September that the Marlow Bridge scheme had come off the council’s roadworks list, on the basis of the edition published on 11 September. The edition published on 18 September carries it, with an end date of 30 September 2026. The section above has been rewritten and the earlier reading is withdrawn.

Easton Street: the multi-storey is coming down

Demolition of the Easton Street multi-storey car park in High Wycombe began on 7 September. Buckinghamshire Council has appointed Coleman Group, which took over the site on 24 August and started internal strip-out on 1 September.

The council’s latest update, published on 16 October and still the latest when read on 7 November, says scaffolding is complete on all sides and that compact demolition has started on the southern elevation and on stair core two. Next come the cantilever sections at the east and west ends, floors 9 down to 6. It gives no completion date.

For anyone on foot, the council’s update of 4 September said a section of Birdcage Walk on the northern edge of the site is closed, with a signed alternative route. The 16 October update does not mention Birdcage Walk or any footpath closure, so we could not confirm today whether that section is still shut or when it reopens.

The car park itself has been shut since May, and it is not reopening: the site is allocated in the draft Local Plan for 160 homes. Full detail is in the multi-storey demolition story.

A404 and M40 overnight closures

National Highways’ closure report, uploaded on 6 November and read on Saturday 7 November, runs to Thursday 12 November. It books four nights of work at junction 4, Handy Cross, all for maintenance or “technology work”:

• Saturday 7 November, 10.15pm to 6am: the M40 northbound entry slip from the A404 at junction 4 is closed.
• Monday 9 November, 10.15pm to 6am: the link road from the A404 to the M40 northbound at junction 4 is closed.
• Wednesday 11 November, 9pm to 6am: a link road at the Handy Cross roundabout is closed. The report does not say which one.
• Thursday 12 November, 9pm to 6am: the M40 northbound exit slip at junction 4 is closed.

On those nights, traffic for Oxford and Birmingham from Marlow and Handy Cross is sent on a signed diversion. The report says the diversions use National Highways roads, and on Saturday local authority roads as well. It does not map them.

Nearer London, the M40 northbound exit and entry slips at junction 2, Beaconsfield, close on Tuesday 10 November, 11pm to 6am. The southbound exit slip at junction 2 closes on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 November, with the southbound entry slip there shut from 11pm on both nights.

At the Marlow end of the A404, the M4 junction 8/9 roundabout at Maidenhead has partial closures from 9pm to 6am on Monday 9 to Thursday 12 November, for surveys. The scheme covers the A404(M) and A308(M) approaches. The report lists no closure of the A404 between Marlow and Handy Cross, and nothing on the M40 between junctions 3 and 4.

The report is reissued daily, so a closure can appear with a few days’ notice.

Key dates to 29 November

Trains: a strike Thursday, then Paddington

Rail is usually the sensible answer from all three towns. High Wycombe is 27 minutes from Marylebone on the fastest Chiltern service, Princes Risborough is direct on the same line, and Marlow runs to Paddington with a change at Maidenhead. Season ticket prices, journey times and station parking charges are all set out on High Wycombe train times to London.

Chiltern’s calendar of changes, read on 7 November, lists no engineering closure between Marylebone, High Wycombe and Princes Risborough in November. What it does list:

• Thursday 12 November, RMT industrial action and England v Croatia at Wembley: Chiltern says the normal number of trains will run into and out of Marylebone and that most customers will see a near normal service. The strike hits its Birmingham end: no Chiltern trains between Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon, and none north of Birmingham Moor Street. For the match, it runs an enhanced afternoon and evening timetable with extra Wembley Stadium stops and some extra trains, on top of minor peak-time changes.
• Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November: with GWR’s Paddington to Oxford route shut, Chiltern runs an enhanced service between Marylebone, High Wycombe, Bicester Village and Oxford, with longer and some extra trains. No Chiltern trains run between Marylebone and Aylesbury via Amersham that weekend.

Chiltern’s 12 November page no longer lists the two Princes Risborough peak cancellations this page carried on 3 November, the 07.21 to Marylebone and the 17.37 back. Its industrial action page says journey planners have been updated, so check your train there before you travel.

For Marlow, Sundays are the days to watch. Great Western Railway says that on Sundays 15 and 22 November track work leaves only two of the four tracks open between Paddington and Reading, so trains through Maidenhead run to an amended timetable. It lists no replacement buses on the Marlow branch on those days.

London Paddington is shut on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November. GWR says trains still run between Maidenhead and Marlow that weekend, but not on into Paddington.

The roads that carry this area

Four routes do most of the work, and knowing which one is affected tells you whether a closure matters.

• The M40 runs along the southern edge of High Wycombe. Junction 4 at Handy Cross is the town’s main connection; junction 3 serves Loudwater and the eastern side. Almost every long journey from here starts by getting onto it.
• The A404 links the M40 at Handy Cross south to Marlow, Bisham and the M4 at Maidenhead. It is dual carriageway for most of that run and it is the road Marlow depends on.
• The A40 London Road is the old road east through Loudwater and Wooburn, and the A40 West Wycombe Road is the same road heading west. When the M40 is blocked, this is where the traffic goes, and it is the obvious alternative on the nights the motorway is shut between junctions here.
• The A4010 runs north from the town through Bradenham and Saunderton to Princes Risborough and on to Aylesbury. The draft Local Plan safeguards a Princes Risborough Relief Road as a complete alternative to it, to be built alongside the 2,895-home extension there. Details are in High Wycombe planning news.

What parking costs

Charges apply Monday to Saturday, 7am to 7pm, at the council’s car parks. Parking outside those hours is free at most of them. Blue Badge holders park free.

The Easton Street multi-storey car park is now permanently closed. The council directs drivers to Wycombe Swan and Railway Place instead. The site is allocated in the draft Local Plan for 160 homes, so it is not coming back.

Watch the six-hour cliff at Marlow Central and Horns Lane. Both are capped at a six-hour maximum stay, and the six-hour tariff is £10.30 against £2.80 or £1.80 for the three-hour stays. It is a deterrent rather than a price, aimed at stopping commuters filling a shoppers’ car park, and it catches people out.

Park and ride at Handy Cross

Handy Cross, on Marlow Hill at HP11 1UP beside M40 junction 4, is the one car park here designed for leaving a car all day. It has 383 spaces, 12 accessible bays, six electric vehicle charging points and a 2.06 metre height restriction. It is open 24 hours with a 96-hour maximum stay.

From there, Carousel Buses run to Wycombe Hospital and Lane End, and the Oxford Bus Company runs coaches to Oxford, Heathrow and Gatwick. For anyone flying, four days at Handy Cross costs £16.30 against airport parking at many times that.

Frequently asked questions

Is the M40 closed at High Wycombe this week?

Not the main carriageway. National Highways’ report, uploaded on 6 November, closes slip and link roads at junction 4, Handy Cross, overnight: the northbound entry slip from the A404 on Saturday 7 November, the A404 to M40 northbound link road on Monday 9 November, a link road at the roundabout on Wednesday 11 November and the northbound exit slip on Thursday 12 November. Junction 2 at Beaconsfield loses slip roads on Tuesday to Thursday nights. It is reissued daily, so check it again before a late journey.

Is Marlow Bridge closed?

No closure is booked. The last overnight closures ran to Friday 2 October, and the scheme is not on the council’s roadworks lists of 9, 16 or 26 October, or of 30 October and 6 November. The council has not said whether the parking bays by Higginson Park and in Pound Lane car park are back in use. Decorative work is due to follow in 2026 to 2027.

Is the A404 closed near Marlow this week?

Not between Marlow and Handy Cross. National Highways’ report, uploaded on 6 November and running to Thursday 12 November, lists no closure on that stretch. At the M40 end, the A404 to M40 northbound link road at junction 4 shuts on Monday 9 November, 10.15pm to 6am. At the M4 end, the junction 8/9 roundabout at Maidenhead has partial closures from 9pm to 6am, Monday 9 to Thursday 12 November.

What roads are closed in High Wycombe right now?

The A404 Amersham Road and Amersham Hill, between Lucas Road and Chadwick Street, are closed on weeknights from 7pm to 7am until Friday 20 November. From Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 November, New Road in Walters Ash is closed from 9.30am to 2.30pm. Both are on the council’s roadworks list of 6 November. Check one.network for utility works, which the council’s list never includes.

Is Amersham Hill closed?

Yes, at night. Buckinghamshire Council’s list of 6 November books the A404 Amersham Road and Amersham Hill for resurfacing under a road closure between Lucas Road and Chadwick Street, from Wednesday 4 to Friday 20 November, 7pm to 7am, Monday to Friday. The road is open during the day and at weekends. The council says dates can change at short notice with the weather.

Are there trains from High Wycombe this week?

Yes. Chiltern lists no engineering closure between Marylebone, High Wycombe and Princes Risborough. On Thursday 12 November the RMT has called industrial action, but Chiltern says the normal number of trains will run into and out of Marylebone; the strike stops its trains to Stratford-upon-Avon and north of Birmingham Moor Street. The same evening England play Croatia at Wembley, so expect busier trains and some timetable changes at the peaks.

Where is the cheapest all-day parking in High Wycombe?

Handy Cross park and ride at £4.30 for 24 hours, less than half the £10.80 charged at the station car park. Council car parks in the town are also free before 7am and after 7pm and cost £1.30 all day on Sundays.

What happened to the Easton Street car park?

It closed permanently and it is being demolished. Buckinghamshire Council appointed Coleman Group, which took the site over on 24 August and began mechanical demolition on 7 September. The council’s update of 16 October, still its latest on 7 November, says demolition has started on the southern elevation, with no completion date. Its update of 4 September said a section of Birdcage Walk was closed; the later update does not say whether it still is. The council points drivers to Wycombe Swan and Railway Place instead, and the site is allocated in the draft Local Plan for 160 homes.

Who do I report a pothole to?

Buckinghamshire Council, which is the highway authority for every road here apart from the M40 and the A404(M). Those belong to National Highways.

Sources

• Buckinghamshire Council’s roadworks list, last updated Friday 6 November 2026 and read on 7 November, for every council scheme on this page.
• Marlow Bridge maintenance works, Buckinghamshire Council, read on 12 October 2026 for what the programme involves and the decorative work that follows, and again on 3 November, when it still listed only the June and July closures.
• Easton Street multi-storey car park latest update, Buckinghamshire Council, the edition of 16 October 2026, still the latest when read on 7 November, for demolition progress and next steps; the earlier update of 4 September for the contractor, the start dates and the Birdcage Walk closure.
• National Highways road closure report, the edition uploaded on 6 November 2026 and read on 7 November for 6 to 12 November.
• Chiltern Railways changes to train times, its pages for Wednesday 11 November, Thursday 12 November and Saturday 28 November, and its industrial action page, all read on 7 November 2026.
• Great Western Railway planned engineering work, read on 3 November 2026, for the Paddington to Reading work on Sundays 15 and 22 November and the Paddington closure on 28 and 29 November, with Maidenhead to Marlow trains still running.
• Buckinghamshire Council car park pages for Railway Place, Desborough Street, Handy Cross, Marlow Central and Horns Lane for tariffs, spaces and opening hours, all rechecked on 19 August 2026.

Council roadworks were rechecked on 7 November 2026 against the council’s list of 6 November; National Highways’ report was read the same day for 6 to 12 November, and Chiltern’s pages too. GWR’s page was last read on 3 November. Dates slip, and the National Highways list changes daily. Check the live map before you set off.