The Botley Road which takes traffic to and from the west side of Oxford, and where the main car rental agencies are in Oxford - used by many Forum participants - will remain closed near the station for a further indefinite period.
The problem is the rail bridge over the road. It has to be replaced but the work has run into many problems which initially meant that when it closed in April 2023 and was expected to reopen late last summer, that date was missed. When the contractors dug down under the road and around the bridge they found many problems, so it was re-scheduled to open in October of this year.
Now it gets even worse.
The replacement of the railway bridge, which was scheduled to take place at end of this month, has been postponed as the work to divert the complex layout of utility pipes and cables under the road, including the sewer system, cannot be completed in time.
So as a result Botley Road, which has been closed under the rail bridge since April 2023, will not now reopen in October as planned.
No new date has been announced.
If you plan to rent in Oxford, plan carefully. And take an extra dose of patience. I know I will - Botley Road has been my normal route into Oxford until the last couple of years. bah humbug
