Residents in Oxford will face continued traffic restrictions at Osney Bridge after Thames Water extended its water main replacement project until August 2026. The work, which has required lane closures and temporary traffic lights on Botley Road, was originally planned to finish this May.
The repairs began after the trunk water main was damaged by a third party in June 2021. The project has proved complex due to the severity of the damage and necessary reinforcement of the northern footpath, which has caused significant delays to the construction process. Beyond the footpath repairs, the utility work also involves diverting a water main and sewer that run beneath the local railway bridge and serve approximately 60,000 homes.
These works are closely tied to the £161 million Network Rail expansion at Oxford Station. That project, which necessitated the closure of Botley Road in April 2023, is now also set to reach completion in August 2026. Because the utility diversions must be finished before the railway bridge can be replaced, the two projects remain heavily interconnected.
Following community protests regarding the extended closure, Rail Minister Lord Hendy has described the ongoing delays as unacceptable. As the project enters its final phase, crews will focus on decommissioning a temporary pipe bridge and removing traffic management equipment to allow the road and the River Thames navigational path to fully reopen.
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