Network Rail will close a road in Oxford so that major bridge works can start for the £161m Oxford rail station and railway upgrade program. Kier were appointed to deliver £65m of the main works for the project last August.
The station and rail upgrades including expanding the railway to allow more rail services for both passengers and freight. The upgrade works will also reduce travelling and journey times. The railway bridge which is above Botley Road will be replaced and the road lowered which will allow double-decker buses to pass underneath.
Because the project is so large the projected works will need to be carried out in stages with the current closure running right through until October 23 which will allow for 11 different utility providers to divert their infrastructure. A further closure will run from March 23 to October 24 for necessary highway works and the bridge replacement scheduled to be done in August 24. There will also be a 4m wide cycle/footpath installed to encourage sustainable transport and improve safety.
When the works are complete by the end of 2024, Oxford station will have a new western entrance next to Botley Road and linking to the new and existing platforms via a subway, making the station more accessible to those living to the west of it.
Originally, a 12-month closure starting in January 2023 had been planned. However, according to Network Rail, “this was reviewed in light of the complexities involved in diverting the utilities and feedback from communities”.
Network Rail programme director for Oxfordshire Connect Claire Mahoney said: “Undertaking this work to enable the replacement of the bridge at Botley Road near the station in Oxford is a critical part of the works required to improve the station for the city, increase rail traffic in Oxfordshire and improve the highway for buses into the city. “There was never going to be an easy way to do this work, it’s extremely complex and needs to be carefully coordinated with multiple utility companies as well as Thames Water and the Environment Agency who are undertaking other works close by. We’ve split the work into two parts this year and next year, so that we reduce the impact on the city’s residents.
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