Waitrose not expecting Botley Road closure to ‘impact stock’

With Network Rail closing Botley Road at the rail bridge from tomorrow, Waitrose has clarified they are not "expecting" the closure to result in "any issues". The closure of Botley Road will mean that all traffic[1] 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. A Waitrose spokesman has said they are not "expecting any impact on stock deliveries" as a result of the closure and they have "factored in alternative routes where necessary" to deal with customer deliveries.

Their spokesman highlighted that "customers can still access the Waitrose Botley Road store by car as we are the last destination before the closure". If customers cannot easily access the store, then they have been advised to shop with Waitrose online to have items delivered to their door. Network Rail and the county council have announced that the road will be closed at the rail bridge from April 11 so a GBP161m improvement scheme for Oxford[4] 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. It is expected that the other main routes into Oxford such as Woodstock and Banbury[5] Roads will get busier.

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

References

1. ^ traffic (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
2. ^ Met Office issues flood alerts for Oxfordshire this week (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
3. ^ Oxfordshire firefighters rush to village garage in flames (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
4. ^ Oxford (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
5. ^ Banbury (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)