The Parish Council has been informed – as residents may have heard through other media sources – that the Botley Road will now remain closed until October 2024 for the development of Oxford station.
The road was due to be re-opened in October 2023 until March 2024, but this re-opening has been cancelled due to the development work falling behind schedule.
According to the latest update from Network Rail, the contractors had to pause their work on the bridge a number of times during the summer. This was due to unearthing a World War II-era hand grenade, then more seriously when an inverted brick arch, thought to be part of the original Victorian drainage system, was discovered.
The latter discovery is proving to be a more complex delay as the arch needed thorough assessment, with a new programme of work being developed to ensure the bridge remains stable and fully supported. Contractors will now be installing hundreds of piles to help support the bridge, with this additional work requiring an extension of the closure in a bid to get the whole project back on schedule.
Residents can read more about this in a detailed article posted by Network Rail or ask questions to some of the project team who will be in attendance at a drop-in session at West Oxford Community Centre on Wednesday 27 September between 2pm and 6pm. (The slides from the presentation given at this event can be downloaded below.)
The Parish Council has arranged for a member of the team to come and speak to us at the October Full Council meeting about the project. This will take place on Tuesday 17th October at 7.30pm in the Village Hall (or you can join online), with all welcome to attend.
Residents who would like to keep track of the project can follow the Facebook page for Oxfordshire Connect: Facebook