Crime & Safety
Skyscrapers and ships built faster than Oxford Botley Road closure
The road was closed at the rail bridge on April 11, 2023, when Rishi Sunak was Prime Minister, Joe Biden was US President and the current War in Gaza had not yet begun.
On the other hand, similar to today, Arsenal were eight points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League, although in 2023 that lead was overturned.
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Initially the closure at Botley Road was only expected to last for months but several delays – including the discovery of a Victorian arch and complicated utility pipes – hindered the project.
This latest three-year milestone means that the project has taken longer, and in some cases far longer, than some of the world’s most iconic landmarks and vessels, even if many cost more than the £237.4m spent on the Oxford scheme.
We’ve listed some of them here.
Mary Rose ship (1511) – around 18 months
King Henry’s favourite vessel was constructed between January 29, 1510 and July 1511 and served as the Tudor monarch’s flagship for 34 years.
In the 1970s, the 800-tonne behemoth which held a crew of around 500, was the subject of a major salvage mission near the Isle of Wight.
In addition, it’s worth noting that the Botley Road closure has also lasted longer than three of King Henry’s six marriages.
The Eiffel Tower (1889) – 2 years, 2 months and 5 days
Completed in March 1889, the 330-metre tower was constructed as the centre piece of the 1889 World’s Fair and to crown the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution.
It is now the most visited monument with an entrance fee in the world.
The Titanic (1911) – 3 years, 2 days
Slightly cheating here, but in two days this will be true and the end of the Botley Road scheme will still take months.
The largest ship in the world, at 269.1m long and 46,328 GRT (gross register tonnage), sank on its maiden voyage after being completed in 1911.
The Empire State Building (1931) – 1 year and 45 days
The 1,454-foot building was constructed between 1930 and 1931 and was the world’s tallest building at the time.
Despite the Wall Street Crash in October 1929, the investors decided to plough ahead with the project because of how much progress had already been made.
It officially opened on May 1, 1931.
The Space Needle (1961) – 400 days
Another landmark raised for a World’s Fair, this 138-foot tower is built to withstand winds of up to 200mph and earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitude.
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Construction began in April 1961 and the basic tower was finished by December 1961, after about eight months.
Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway (2011) – 3 years and 2 months
The high-speed railway connects the Bohai Economic Rim and the Yangtze River Delta, two major economic sites in China.
Construction began in April 2008 with the line opened to the public for commercial service in June 2011.
It remains the world’s longest high-speed line ever constructed in a single phase, at 1,318km.
Oxford Stand Up To Racism has accused Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, of inciting the ‘awful violent scenes’ in Southampton on Tuesday night (June 2).
The city where 18-year-old Henry Nowak died and where his killer, Vickrum Digwa, lived became a scene of destruction after hundreds descended to smash car windows, hurl bricks and cause eleven officers and a police dog to be injured.
READ MORE: New date set for Tommy Robinson appearance in Oxford
Following the disorder, the chief of Hampshire police said those involved were ‘determined to spark fear and division’.
Yaxley-Lennon, who has been jailed multiple times for a variety of offences including when he was imprisoned in October 2024 for contempt of caught, addressed the crowd at the riot.
He said: “I heard someone say this wasn’t about race, this is about race.
“A white boy who done nothing was handcuffed, a murderer in possession of a knife who stabbed someone five times isn’t.”
Oxford Stand Up to Racism is now renewing its call for the Oxford Union to withdraw its invitation for the ‘riot agitator’ to speak on June 17 on the subject of Islam.
He was originally due to speak at the historic debating society on Thursday, May 28 before his appearance was postponed over security concerns and after massive backlash.
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Ian McKendrick, a member of the anti-racism group, said: “Despite Henry Nowak’s family clearly requesting that his death should not be used to promote further hatred, Robinson was at the centre of protests in Southampton last night and clearly inciting violence.
“Giving him a televised platform at the Oxford Union legitimises hate and violence, and gives him the opportunity to incite violence to an audience of millions.
“It does not promote free speech – instead, it promotes fear and intimidation among minoritised communities.
“Already we have seen Oxford fascists alongside Robinson in Southampton and now mobilising to bring more hate onto Oxford’s streets.”
Members of Raise the Colours: Oxfordshire were called to attend the Southampton protest on Tuesday night, with the leader of the group posting on Facebook to ask followers to join the ‘justice for Henry Nowak’ protest.
Mr McKendrick added: “There is a concerted effort by far right leaders and fascist groups to incite outrage and bring people on to the streets to riot.
READ MORE: Traffic chaos in Witney amid report of ‘major incident’
“We risk an explosion of violence similar to what we saw around the Southport murders across the UK.
“We’re calling on Oxford to say a clear ‘no’ to this hate and division by protesting against Yaxley-Lennon’s appearance at the Oxford Union.”
Faith and civic leaders of Oxford already wrote to the Oxford Union asking it to rescind the controversial figure’s invitation, and hundreds have signed an open letter calling for the same.
A reported incident at a junction in Witney is causing traffic chaos in the town, with drivers coming off the A40 and elsewhere stuck in long queues.
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An incident occurred in St Aldate’s, outside the entrance to Christ Church Meadows, at about 4pm on Tuesday, June 2.
At least three ambulances were responding to what appeared to be a medical emergency on the pavement.
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An individual was scene on a stretcher being cared for by paramedics.
An eyewitness said the incident occurred opposite the Alice Shop, and the medical teams ‘evacuated’ the person.
Apart from the pavement briefly being blocked while the first responders dealt with the emergency, it did not appear to affect traffic or block the road in busy St Aldate’s.
South Central Ambulance Service has been contacted for comment.
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