Botley Road bridge replacement
New programme launched to reopen Botley Road summer 2026.
On Friday 24 January 2025 a new programme for the expansion of Oxford station was launched that prioritises the reopening of Botley Road.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy and our Chief Executive Andrew Haines apologised to council leaders, residents and businesses for the significant delays to the work and the ongoing disruption.
Engineering challenges around the discovery of the true extent of an inverted brick arch and in finding a suitable location for water main connections held up progress by 18 months but we are now making good progress in the most complex utilities diversions.
Timeline
- March 2025: Foundations for bridge supports (station side) complete
- May 2025: Large clean water pipe complete (Thames Water)
- July 2025: Small clean water pipe complete (Thames Water)
- August 2025: Sewer diversions complete
- August 2025: New northern footpath/cycleway opened (4 metres wide)
- November 2025: Southern pedestrian/cycleway works start, existing tunnel closed
- February 2026: Botley Road bridge replacement complete (9-day closure of the railway)
- April 2026: New surface water flood defence tank complete
- May 2026: New underground flood defence structure complete
- August 2026: Botley Road reopens
What will this mean for me?
We’ll continue to manage disruption as best we can as we continue to complete our work.
Look ahead over the coming months:
- The bus turning circle will be removed while flood prevention measures are constructed (underground attenuation tank and pumping system)
- The walking route on the southern side will close once the new northern pedestrian/ cycle route has opened.
- The railway through Oxford station will close for 9 days to allow installation of the new bridge.
Travelling by bus
Buses continue to serve Botley Road but during the road closure terminate at stops either side of the railway bridge. If you need to continue your journey, you will need to get off, walk under the bridge on the footpath, and catch a new bus.
Further travel advice is available on the Oxfordshire County Council website:
Resident update sessions
For details of our upcoming resident update sessions, please take a look at the Oxfordshire Connect page.
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Contact us
If you have any questions or require more information about the scheme, you can email us at: OxfordFeedback@networkrail.co.uk or visit our contact us page.