Network Rail and Oxfordshire County Council have announced when Botley Road will close for £161m rail station improvements.
Last year it was announced that the road would be closed at the rail bridge for a year from January 9 so contractors could get to work on rerouting utility cables in advance of building a new western entrance for the station, and replacing the Botley Road rail bridge.
But the year-long closure plan was scrapped and the rail authority, the council and the Department for Transport held talks to come up with a new timetable.
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The new closure timetable - announced today - says the road will be closed at the bridge from April 11 until October this year, and closed for highways work for a similar period next year.
Some work has already started, and the former youth hostel building is about to the be demolished.
Claire Mahoney, Network Rail programme director for Oxfordshire Connect, 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."
She added: "We’ve split the work into two parts this year and next year, so that we reduce the impact on the city’s residents.
"We’re working closely with the city and county councils, and transport providers so it’s easier to work and move around during the closure, but we know this is going to inevitably cause disruption.
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"We urge residents and businesses to understand the impact on them and plan ahead whilst the works are in place."
The project timeline is as follows:
- April to October 2023 – Botley Road part closure until end of October for utility diversion work
- July 29 to August 6 2023 – All rail lines through Oxford closed for track work and prep work for new platform.
- March to October 2024 - Botley Road closed for highway work
- August 2024 – Four-day rail closure for bridge replacement.
From April 11, drivers will be advised to use park and rides and find an alternative route into the city centre.
Buses will turn around just before the rail bridge, close to the junction with Roger Dudman Way.
Andrew Gant, the county council's cabinet member for highways management, said: "As with any project of this scale, it will inevitably mean disruption - in this case the closure of Botley Road for two significant periods.
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"While this cannot be avoided, we will do all we can to minimise the impact on the rest of the road network. We will work closely with Network Rail and our other partners, such as the bus companies, to keep the city moving during this period."
Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: “This work is critical to our plans for creating a sustainable transport network across Oxford and Oxfordshire and for improving the national rail network.
"However, I do not underestimate the immediate impact this will have on residents and businesses in and around the city."
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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