Some large vehicles will not fit under the recently erected railway bridge on Botley Road in Oxford, it has emerged.
The structure was installed in February as part of the £237m scheme to upgrade Oxford’s railway station. This replacement aims to boost rail network capacity and was installed while the line was closed for a week.
Network Rail representatives told locals at a meeting this month that certain tall vehicles will not pass under the new structure.
Susanna Pressel, a city and county councillor, told those present that the residents’ gathering revealed both setbacks and encouraging news. The setback comes from confirmation received from highways officers that the taller new railway bridge still cannot accommodate the very tallest heavy goods vehicles. This could mean large vehicles becoming stuck underneath or having to reverse along Mill Street or Abbey Road. To address this, extensive warning signage will be installed around the orbital road, and she urged them to inform navigation system providers as well. On the positive side, construction remains slightly ahead of schedule, and the completed northern walkway could potentially open by the end of August after all.
A Network Rail spokesperson said the new bridge was built to county council specifications at 4.4 metres in height, which accommodates the overwhelming majority of road traffic.
A county council spokesperson said the new bridge’s height is suitable for most vehicles using the road. It exceeds the previous structure’s height and will allow all local buses up to 4.42 metres in height to pass through. The earlier bridge was marked at 4.0 metres, which caused difficulties for certain local bus services. Warning signs will be displayed, including on the ring road, to notify vehicles exceeding 4.4 metres to select different routes. Constraints at this location, including elevated groundwater levels, the necessity to connect the lowered road with Frideswide Square, and the inability to raise the tracks due to their closeness to Oxford station, meant that what has been accomplished represents the maximum achievable height.
John Howson, a former county councillor living near the railway station, expressed support in principle for keeping heavy goods vehicles out of the city centre via Botley Road. He went on to say that the low railway bridge has historically created difficulties when the A34, as frequently occurs, is closed north or south of the Botley Interchange. The lack of an alternative route must be communicated to heavy goods vehicle drivers early enough to allow them to use other paths around the orbital road. Because of the additional bridge spans, any lorry hitting the bridge should not disrupt train services, at least until Platform 5 is finished at some point in the future.
Botley Road was closed at the railway bridge at the beginning of 2023 and is expected to reopen by late August. The scheme has experienced multiple setbacks and costs have risen as a consequence. Work on creating a new western entrance to the station has not yet started in earnest.