The latest Network Rail plans to shut Botley Road for rail station improvements have been revealed.
Network Rail and the county council had been planning to shut the road at the rail bridge for 12 months from January 9.
But on Friday the rail authority scrapped the January 9 start date and said it would come up with a new timetable following discussions with the county council.
READ AGAIN: Botley Road year-long closure date scrapped
It is understood that Network Rail was concerned that contractors would not be able to complete rerouting utility cables in time for the scheduled replacement of the rail bridge.
Now Network Rail has told city and county councillor Susanna Pressel that a possible or likely scenario is for the road to be closed from March to August/September 2023, then for four to six months in the middle of 2024, and during this time the rail bridge will be replaced.
This could rule out the introduction of six new traffic filters until early in 2025.
Network Rail spokesman David Paull said: "This is a potential option but it’s currently with the DfT (Department for Transport and county council to consider further).
Residents and businesses were shocked in October when they learned of plans for the year-long closure and a residents' group, West Oxford Access, has been formed to liaise with Network Rail and the county council.
Work that needs to be done includes rerouting utility cables, demolishing the youth hostel at the Roger Dudman Way junction, replacing the rail bridge and starting to build a new western entrance to the station.
West Oxford Access spokesman Julian Le Vay said: "Network Rail's improvisational approach seems extraordinary, given they put this plan to the city council 18 months ago and are only discovering now it is difficult to do.
"Going forward there has to be a better approach to managing this, bringing various authorities together and engaging with the public better.
"Network Rail and the county council need to work together much more closely."
READ AGAIN: Residents gobsmacked by Botley Road closure update
The county council has agreed to introduce six new traffic filters - bus gates - in Oxford but has pledged not to do so while the Botley Road is closed.
Mr Le Vay said the new suggested timetable could mean the traffic filters are not introduced until the end of 2024.
Jericho and Osney county councillor Susanna Pressel said she was shocked to hear about the last-minute postponement.
She added: "There is really only one time in the year that they can stop the trains for a few days in order to install the wonderful new bridge, with a new track and a new platform.
"That is in early August, when the BMW works and some of the other major firms have their annual closure. That is why they now want to get all the utilities to do their re-routing in 2023, and install the new bridge in the summer of 2024.
"I can see that it is a good thing for them to give themselves more flexibility with this new timetable, in case anything goes wrong. For the county council it is infuriating! We are desperate to do something to reduce the appalling congestion and pollution in the city.
"The bus companies are desperate to see this as well – they can’t run an efficient bus service if the buses keep being stuck in traffic jams. Now we will presumably have to wait until 2025 to try out some of the measures to reduce traffic in the city centre."
Graham Jones, of Oxford High Street Association, said: "This has been a total shambles - both Network Rail and the county council have messed up.
"When they come up with a new timetable for the closure it has to be believable and one that businesses can work around."
No final decision has yet been made on the latest timetable for closure.
A county council spokesman said: "Oxfordshire County Council will continue to work with Network Rail on managing the road network to accommodate their project at Oxford station.
"The council hopes to confirm more details in the coming weeks. We will look at all the options but it would be unhelpful for us to speculate on any new dates at this stage."
Read more from this author
This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF
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