Oxford prepares for major Botley Road closure on April 11

Network Rail will be closing Botley Road at the rail bridge next to the train station on Tuesday morning (April 11). All traffic including emergency services vehicles will not be able to pass under the rail bridge in either direction, forcing extra traffic onto the ring road and other routes. Network Rail and the county[3] council have announced that the road will be closed at the rail bridge from April 11[4] so a GBP161m improvement scheme for Oxford station can go ahead.Work includes rerouting utility cables, creating a new western entrance for the station and replacing the rail bridge.

As a result, the road will be closed from Tuesday, April 11 until October, and also for a similar period next year. Click here to sign up to our newsletters here (Image: Newsquest)[5] Pedestrian and cycle access through the closure points is planned to be maintained throughout, although the specific route through may change.

The county council said it will work closely with Network Rail and its other partners, such as the bus companies, "to keep the city moving during this period." It is expected that the other main routes into Oxford such as Woodstock and Banbury[6] Roads will get busier. Limited roadworks will be allowed on these roads to help mitigate this.

Network Rail has urged people to "understand the impact" on them and plan ahead.

References

1. ^ New date revealed for key (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
2. ^ Oxford (www.heraldseries.co.uk)
3. ^ county (www.heraldseries.co.uk)
4. ^ will be closed at the rail bridge from April 11 (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
5. ^ Click here to sign up to our newsletters here (Image: Newsquest) (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
6. ^ Banbury (www.heraldseries.co.uk)