Oxford HGVs to face problem at new Botley Road rail bridge

The installation of the new bridge in February was a major element of the ongoing £237m scheme to upgrade Oxford’s rail station.

The replacement bridge is designed to boost capacity on the network and was installed during a week-long closure of the rail line.

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Network Rail bosses informed residents at a meeting earlier this month that some HGVs will not be able to fit beneath the new bridge.

Contractors working near the rail bridge (Image: Andy Ffrench)

City and county councillor Susanna Pressel said: “At the meeting for residents we had some bad news and some good news.

“The bad news was confirmation of what I had heard from the highways department – that the new railway bridge, although higher, will still not be high enough to take the very tallest HGVs.

“That means we may again get large vehicles stuck underneath it and/or forced to turn around in Mill Street or Abbey Road.

“To try and prevent this, there will be plenty of warning signs on the ring road, and I asked them to inform the satnav companies as well.

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“The good news is that work is still slightly ahead of schedule, and the northern walkway in its finished state may yet be open at the end of August after all.”

City councillor Susanna Pressel (Image: Oxford Mail)

A Network Rail spokesman said the new bridge has been built to county council specifications at 4.4m high, “which is suitable for the vast majority of vehicles on the road.”

A county council spokesman said: “The height of the new bridge is suitable for the vast majority of vehicles on the road.

“It is higher than the previous bridge and will accommodate all local buses up to 4.42m in height. The previous bridge was signed at 4.0m and this was a problem for some local buses.

 “Warning signs will be in place, including on the ring road, to alert vehicles higher than 4.4m to use alternative routes.

 “Issues at this location including the high water table, the need to tie-in the lowered road to Frideswide Square, and the fact that the tracks could not be raised owing to their proximity to Oxford station meant that what has been achieved is the maximum height possible.”

The new Botley Road rail bridge (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Former county councillor John Howson, who lives near the rail station, said in principle it was a good idea that HGVs should not be able to enter the city centre via the Botley Road.

He added: “However, the low railway bridge has always posed problems when the A34, as all too often, is closed north or south of the Botley Interchange.

“A lack of an alternative route needs to be flagged up to HGVs early enough for them to use other routes around the ring road.

“Thanks to the extra bridge spans, any lorry striking the bridge should not upset train services, at least until Platform 5 is completed sometime in the future.”

Botley Road was closed at the rail bridge early in 2023 and is due to reopen by the end of August.

The scheme has been hit by numerous delays and costs have risen as a result.

Work has not yet fully started on plans to create a new western entrance to the station.